Toronto's Pump is Primed for Opening Day -

Blue Jays Announce 26-Man Roster: Nathan Lukes Makes the Cut

The Toronto Blue Jays are set for Major League Baseball’s Opening Day of the 2023 season.

On Tuesday evening, the team officially announced its 26-man roster. With most of the surprise already having occurred when pitcher Nate Pearson was optioned to Triple-A for the services of Canadian reliever Zach Pop, the Jays had little left to unveil.

To begin, the team announced the hulking Alek Manoah as its Opening Day starter, before sending infield prospects Vinny Capra and Otto Lopez – the later of whom played phenomenally for Team Canada earlier in the month at the World Baseball Classic – down to Triple-A alongside Pearson.

That meant the final roster spot was left for 28-year-old outfielder Nathan Lukes, who was the final snip one year prior.

“I’m definitely fighting,” Lukes said earlier this year. “Gonna keep on fighting all year. Even if it doesn’t happen out of spring, I’m gonna keep doing my thing. Keep fighting for a spot.”

2022 saw a tremendous season of growth for the Portland, Oregon product. Taking turns playing all three outfielding roles for the Buffalo Bisons, Lukes took home the team MVP award while putting up 122 hits, 11 home runs, 61 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and a .789 OPS on the year. The Jays designated him to the 40-man roster this winter and he made the most of his opportunity during spring training.

“I told Nathan Lukes that he’s on our team, which is great for him,” clubhouse manager John Schneider said from Dunedin, Florida. “Tough decision, I think, when you kind of break it all down. But we’re just really happy with the way he performed. Every phase of his game was where it should be. So he’ll be coming with us.”

With pitchers Mitch White, Hyun Jin Ryu and Chad Green all on in the injured list to start the season, the opportunity arose for Pop, who claimed the final reliever spot over Trent Thornton, Zach Thompson and Pearson. While Yusei Kikuchi will begin as the team’s fifth starter and hope to find some of the consistency he has shown in flashes throughout his career.

Toronto’s 13 Position Players:

C Alejandro Kirk
C Danny Jansen
1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
1B/DH Brandon Belt
SS Bo Bichette
3B Matt Chapman
INF Santiago Espinal
INF/OF Whit Merrifield
INF/OF Cavan Biggio
OF George Springer
OF Daulton Varsho
OF Kevin Kiermaier
OF Nathan Lukes

Toronto’s 13 Pitchers:

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SP Alek Manoah
SP Kevin Gausman
SP Chris Bassitt
SP José Berríos
SP Yusei Kikuchi
RP Jordan Romano
RP Tim Mayza
RP Erik Swanson
RP Yimi García
RP Anthony Bass
RP Adam Cimber
RP Trevor Richards
RP Zach Pop

The Blue Jays begin the season with a 10-game road trip that sees stops in St. Louis, Kansas City and Anaheim, before the team plays its home opener on April 11 against the Detroit Tigers. First up is a three-game series with Miles Mikolas as the Cardinals. Manoah will take to the mound at Busch Stadium in the 3:10 PM central start time, which will be available on Sportsnet in Canada and Bally Sports in the United States.