Blue Jays update spring pitching plans, Chris Bassitt to make first start on Friday

The Toronto Blue Jays have set their pitching plans for the next two days.

After dropping their first Grapefruit League game on Wednesday, Toronto will have left-hander Easton Lucas make his second start on Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles.

Then, veteran Chris Bassitt will make his first appearance of spring training in the first half of Friday's split-squad action against the Detroit Tigers and Jake Bloss will start in the evening against the New York Yankees.

According to Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith, Kevin Gausman is slated to throw a 30- to 35-pitch live batting practice session before getting into spring games. On Friday, Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters that Gausman will likely slide into Lucas's spot in the spring rotation when he is ready.

Lucas started Toronto's first game of the spring on Saturday, throwing two perfect innings against the Yankees with three strikeouts.

The 28-year-old was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays last August and appeared in two MLB games with the club and six contests at triple-A Buffalo.

Bassitt, meanwhile, will take the mound for his first outing of 2025 after working 171 innings for Torontoin 2024. The 36-year-old veteran is entering the final season of a three-year, $63 million deal he signed with the Blue Jays in December 2022.

Bloss will be making his second appearance of the spring on Friday at the Yankees' George M. Steinbrenner Field. He threw 1.2 innings against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, allowing two hits and two runs.

You can catch both of Friday's games on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+. First pitch against Detroit is scheduled for 1:07 p.m. ET / 10:07 a.m. PT, and the nightcap against the Yankees gets underway at 6:35 p.m. ET / 3:35 p.m. PT.