The Toronto Blue Jays slim farm system looks to finally have a huge piece of their organization back.
On Monday morning, left-handed pitcher Ricky Tiedemann took the mound in a game for the first time in nearly two years.
Tiedemann formerly sat atop the Blue Jays prospect rankings in 2024, but after a couple of setbacks and Tommy John Surgery in July of 2024, he is back to pitching. He currently sits at the No. 4 spot in the Blue Jays top prospect rankings.
According to Mitch Bannon of the Athletic, "#BlueJays LHP Ricky Tiedemann, after a spring shutdown due to elbow soreness and some setbacks, made his return to game action today. He faced 5 batters in the FCL: 1IP 2H 1ER 2K 0BB"
The 23-year-old had some issues in his first game back, but his two strikeouts in one inning of work is still encouraging.
Tiedemann was sent back to Rookie ball in the Florida Complex League for the start of his rehab. He was brought up to Triple-A Buffalo during the 2024 season. In four games started, he pitched to a 6.00 ERA with 11 strikeouts and three home runs allowed in nine innings.
However, in his full minor league career, his stats look a bit nicer. In 41 starts, the southpaw has pitched to a 3.02 ERA with 226 strikeouts in 140 innings. He has the talent with great strikeout stuff, he just needs to bd able to stay on the field.
He is currently throwing with a three pitch mix of a four-seam fastball, a working slider and a strong changeup. His fastball has a 60 grade and typically reaches 98 MPH. He is working on his new slider, he is having to reduce the strain it has on this arm due to his Tommy John surgery.
He likely will not be able to have an impact on the major league roster for Toronto this season, but if he is able to find his stride once again almost two years removed from surgery, he could be a big piece of the Blue Jays future.
It is a little worrying, of course, with the amount of injuries he has dealt with at his young age, but he surely has a lot of talent to defy the odds.
We will likely receive more updates on his progression throughout the season, as he will continue to be an exciting prospect to watch.
