Garcia's $6 million option for 2024 vested Sunday during his relief appearance in Toronto's 3-2 extra-inning loss to the Angels, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.
Though Garcia took his fourth loss of the season while allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit in the outing, he was at least able to earn himself a guaranteed contract for 2024 in the process. Per the terms of the two-year deal Garcia signed with Toronto in November 2021, Garcia triggered the $6 million option since the relief appearance was his 110th between the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The 32-year-old right-hander will remain locked into a key late-inning role for the Blue Jays for the foreseeable future, though his path to picking up saves in the short-term became more challenging after Toronto acquired hard-throwing righty Jordan Hicks from St. Louis on Sunday to bolster the back end of the bullpen while All-Star closer Jordan Romano (back) is on the injured list.
Garcia recorded the final out of Friday's 4-1 win over the Angels to collect his third save of the season.
Jordan Romano started the ninth inning but loaded the bases with two outs before being lifted after his lower back locked up, and Garcia was able to retire Mickey Moniak to preserve the win. An MRI on Romano's back after the All-Star break didn't reveal any structural issues, but the Blue Jays will likely send their closer for further testing to try and determine the cause of the recurring trouble. Garcia is the next man up in the bullpen -- all three of his saves on the season have come in July, and he has a 1.80 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 11:1 K:BB through 10 innings on the month.
Garcia picked up the save Saturday against the Diamondbacks, allowing two hits while striking out one over a scoreless inning.
With Jordan Romano still recovering from a lower back injury, Garcia entered the contest with a 5-2 lead in the ninth inning and got into trouble early after allowing singles to Lourdes Gurriel and Jake McCarthy. However, the right-handed reliever managed to pitch his way out of it, needing just four pitches to retire the final two batters and secure his second save of the season. Garcia is now 2-for-2 in save opportunities and has not allowed a run since June 17 against the Rangers.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Yimi Garcia: Secures third win
Rotowire
Garcia (3-3) struck out two in a perfect inning of relief Sunday to pick up the win in an extra-inning victory over the Tigers.
With the score tied in the ninth inning, Garcia took the mound and set down Detroit's 8-9-1 hitters before Toronto took the lead in the top of the 10th. The right-hander has two wins, a save and a hold over the course of a nine-appearance scoreless streak, and since the beginning of June, Garcia boasts a 1.50 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and dazzling 15:1 K:BB over 12 innings as he pushes his way back into a high-leverage role for the Blue Jays.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Yimi Garcia: Nabs save in extra innings
Rotowire
Garcia earned a save against the White Sox on Thursday by retiring both batters he faced.
The contest remained scoreless through 10 frames before Toronto put up six runs in the top of the 11th. Chicago came back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning and put two runners on base with one out, at which point Garcia was called upon to extinguish the fire. The right-hander needed just six pitches to do so, retiring both batters he faced for his first save of the campaign. Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano worked a scoreless 10th and picked up the victory, so there's nothing to see here in terms of Garcia's role -- he'll likely get some high-leverage work, but Romano has a near monopoly on save chances.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Yimi Garcia: Expected to avoid IL
Rotowire
Garcia (knee) is expected to avoid the injured list, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.
Garcia hasn't pitched since experiencing right knee discomfort during a relief appearance Saturday versus the Athletics, but he should be available again out of the Toronto bullpen within the next couple of days.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Yimi Garcia: Exits with knee discomfort
Rotowire
Garcia left Saturday's relief appearance against the Athletics with discomfort in his right knee, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters that the injury is one that has been bothering Garcia for a while, but he doesn't consider the injury serious and he doesn't believe Garcia will need to be placed on the injured list. The right-hander should be considered day-to-day, but he might miss a game or two while he recovers even if he doesn't hit the IL.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Yimi Garcia: Exits with apparent injury
Rotowire
Garcia left Saturday's game versus the Athletics with an apparent injury, Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun reports.
Garcia picked up two outs before he was forced to leave the game. Jordan Romano has taken over on the mound. For now, Garcia should be considered day-to-day with further updates likely before Sunday's finale against the A's.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Yimi Garcia: Hit with loss against O's
Rotowire
Garcia (1-3) took the loss Thursday, giving up a run on four hits in an inning of relief against the Orioles. He struck out two.
After getting the final out of the fifth inning, Garcia stayed in for the sixth and got tagged for three straight two-out singles to allow what proved to be the winning run for Baltimore. The right-hander has slipped out of a high-leverage role in the Toronto bullpen -- he has eight holds on the season, but only one over the last month -- and he's been scored upon in five of his last nine appearances, posting an 8.00 ERA and 1.89 WHIP despite a 12:0 K:BB through nine innings over that stretch.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Yimi Garcia: Can't secure save
Rotowire
Garcia blew the save during Sunday's 10-8 loss to the Mariners, allowing one run on one hit and one walk while striking out two over 1.1 innings.
Garcia replaced Anthony Bass in a one-run game with two on and two out in the eighth. He got out of the inning by striking out Taylor Trammell, who hit a grand slam earlier in the contest, and he came out for the ninth with Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson presumably unavailable after pitching Friday and Saturday. Garcia walked the leadoff hitter in the ninth and surrendered a two-out, game-tying RBI single to J.P. Crawford before getting out of the frame. It was Garcia's second blown save in as many chances, and he likely won't get many additional opportunities with Romano the team's clear-cut closer.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Yimi Garcia: Collects win after blown save
Rotowire
Garcia (1-0) gave up two runs on two hits and two walks in the eighth inning of Thursday's 10-9 victory over the Cardinals, getting charged with a blown save but picking up the win.
Few pitchers on either side fared well in the wild Opening Day contest, but it's noteworthy that Erik Swanson entered the game in fifth inning with the score tied 5-5 while Garcia got the nod in the eighth after the Jays had taken a brief 8-7 lead. If he remains the team's primary setup man in front of closer Jordan Romano, Garcia could top last year's career-high 22 holds, but he'll need to pitch better than he did Thursday to keep the spot.
... See More... See Less
Blue Jays' Yimi Garcia: Gearing up for setup role
Rotowire
Garcia gave up a hit in a scoreless eighth inning during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.
The right-hander didn't allow a run in two innings while pitching for the Dominican Republic during the WBC, and he's also delivered three clean innings for the Jays in Grapefruit League play. Garcia's combined 2:0 K:BB over that time isn't exactly dominant, but he's still set to be one of the primary setup men for closer Jordan Romano in 2023, and he recorded a career-high 22 holds in that role last year.
Garcia pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn a save over the Yankees on Saturday.
Toronto closer Jordan Romano pitched in each of the first two games of the series, so Garcia was given the task of preserving the team's three-run, ninth-inning lead. He threw 17 pitches to retire the side in order and notch his first save of the campaign. Garcia saved 15 games for Miami last season, but Adam Cimber -- who was deployed in the fifth inning Saturday -- has gotten the majority of the closing opportunities when Romano has been unavailable this season.
