Blue Jays reliever Kirby Yates out multiple weeks with flexor strain

March 22, 2021 - 5:18pm

Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith discuss Kirby Yates being out multiple weeks with a flexor strain and what it means from the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen.

Toronto Blue Jays reliever Kirby Yates is expected to miss multiple weeks due to a flexor-pronator strain in his right arm.

RHP Kirby Yates has been diagnosed with a flexor-pronator strain in his right arm. #BlueJays are still gathering information at this time, but Kirby is expected to miss multiple weeks.

— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) March 22, 2021

Yates last appeared in a spring training game on Saturday in what was just his second outing since signing a one-year, $5.5-million contract with the Blue Jays in the off-season.

The 33-year-old did not allow a run in his two innings of Grapefruit League action, surrendering two hits while striking out a pair of batters.

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Yates was limited to six appearances with the San Diego Padres in 2020 before having surgery to remove bone chips from his pitching elbow. He was one of MLB’s most dominant closers in 2019 and was poised to take on that role for Toronto to begin 2021.

In Yates’ absence, Jordan Romano and Rafael Dolis figure to be ninth-inning options for Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo.

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