Blue Jays Make Roster Move Before White Sox Game

Story by

Xavier Constantino

Sun, Apr 5, 2026 ·

2 min read

Brendon Little made the Toronto Blue Jays ’ decision easy.

The 29-year-old left-hander entered Sunday having posted a 24.55 ERA across five appearances, allowing 10 of the bullpen's 17 earned runs on the season, including two home runs Saturday night against the Chicago White Sox that erased a 2-1 Blue Jays lead. With two blown saves and two losses in 3.2 innings pitched, Toronto had seen enough.

Little was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday morning, a move that’s part of a larger bullpen overhaul that also sent right-hander Lazaro Estrada to Buffalo while selecting veterans Joe Mantiply and Austin Voth to the active roster.

Little’s struggles this season have been staggering in scope. Of the 17 earned runs Blue Jays relievers have surrendered this season, he has been charged with 10 of them, not including inherited runners he allowed to score. A bullpen can absorb a bad outing, but it cannot absorb one every time the same pitcher takes the mound. The demotion was overdue.

Estrada’s option, by contrast, felt more like a numbers decision than a performance-based one. The 26-year-old pitched four scoreless innings Saturday and struck out three batters. A high pitch count in Saturday’s game made the decision easier for Toronto, who would rather have fresher arms in Mantiply and Voth.

Mantiply and Voth are two veteran pitchers who have joined the Blue Jays since signing minor league deals with the team in March. Mantiply, 35, was a 2022 All-Star but has not pitched in the majors since May of last year, when the Arizona Diamondbacks released him after a 15.83 ERA across 10 appearances.

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider (14)© Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
(© Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)

The lefty gives manager John Schneider a second option against left-handed hitters. Voth, 33, posted a 3.96 ERA across 125 innings in Japan last season and will take over Estrada's long-man role.

The Anthony Santander and Cody Ponce 60-day IL transfers were already going to happen. Santander underwent labral surgery on his left shoulder in February and is expected to be sidelined for five to six months. Then, with Ponce partially tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, he will also miss “significant time” per Schneider. Moving them both off the roster freed up the 40-man space needed to make Sunday’s other moves work.

Little’s departure steadies things on the surface. Now, it will be up to Mantiply and Voth to see whether they can help out with what has been one of the worst bullpens in baseball.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.