Joe Mantiply is closing in on a return to the Blue Jays bullpen.
The left-hander threw a scoreless inning with a strikeout in a rehab outing with Dunedin on Wednesday.
He said he felt good afterward, which matters as much as the line itself at this stage of a rehab process.
Mantiply has been dealing with a knee injury that had him projected to be out until at least Aug 18.
That timeline is now bumping right up against real progress on the mound.
From here, the plan has him heading to Triple-A Buffalo for one or two more outings before an actual activation.
That's a fairly standard build-up for a reliever working back from an injury like this, adding a level of competition before he rejoins the big-league staff.
Why his return matters for Toronto's bullpen mix
Toronto has shuffled its bullpen constantly this season, calling up and optioning arms as needed during the stretch run.
A healthy Mantiply gives John Schneider another trusted veteran option out of that group.
The Blue Jays sit at 62-66, one game back of a wild-card spot, in a stretch where bullpen depth gets tested nightly.
There's no exact activation date yet, since it still depends on how those next one or two outings in Buffalo go.
But a scoreless, strikeout-filled rehab inning is exactly the kind of step that keeps a return on schedule instead of pushing it back.
Whether Mantiply slots back into a high-leverage role right away or needs a few outings to shake off the rust remains to be seen once he's actually activated.
Do you think Joe Mantiply makes an immediate impact once he's activated?
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