Let’s circle back to the Jays’ rotation

The Jays are a better team with Thomas Hatch on the roster than without and he’s nowhere to be found in your roster piece. Why is that? — Colin, Barrie

The roster piece wasn’t about who I thought should crack the 26-man roster, it was about who I thought the Jays would

pick and I don’t believe they are ready to hand the job to Hatch quite yet. The rotation currently features Hyun-Jin Ryu, Robbie Ray, Steven Matz and Tanner Roark. The last spot is up for grabs, but GM Ross Atkins conceded Tuesday morning that Ross Stripling has a leg up because of his experience and that’s the pitcher I expect the Jays to settle on.

Hatch’s opportunity is coming soon. It remains to be seen how long Pearson is out with a strained groin, but Hatch appears to be the first line of defence in case any other pitcher goes down with an injury. Hatch is going to be factor at some point later in the year. I’m with you, though. If I was picking the rotation Hatch would be in it.

Is Alek Manoah not an option for the rotation? Seems like he’s got the stuff, he throws hard and has a great slider. Why not see what he can do for a start or two to begin the season? — Johnny, Thorold, Ont.

There were a lot of questions about Manoah this week, which I assume is because he struck out seven consecutive batters across three scoreless innings in his last start against the Yankees. Manoah has looked strong, but let’s not get too carried away. The 23-yearold is still in development mode and he has never pitched above low Class-A ball in the Jays organization. Since being drafted in 2019, Manoah has thrown a grand total of 17 innings.

Manoah could eventually enter the mix later in the year, but it’s not going to happen this fast. At some point, Pearson will return while Hatch, Anthony Kay and possibly T.J. Zeuch are ahead of him on the depth chart. If anything, Manoah possibly could become a late-season option for the bullpen, but this isn’t the year to expect big things from him as a starter, even though the upside is clearly there. Let’s revisit this topic next spring.

Are there talks about going to a six-man rotation? — Bill, Scarborough

No, but the Jays could still use one from time to time. I view this situation similar to 2016 when Toronto opened the year with a rotation of J.A. Happ, Marco Estrada, R.A. Dickey, Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez. Drew Hutchison became the de facto sixth starter on that team and, while he spent most of the year in the minors, he was called up to make spot starts.

Injuries are going to force some moves throughout the season, but even when they don’t there’s an opportunity for the Jays to get creative. If the rotation appears worn down during a long stretch, they can promote one of the young starters to give the other guys an extra day. I think you’ll see a six-man rotation every now and then, but it’s not going to be a regular thing.

Submit your Jays questions to bluejaysmailbag@gmail.com or on Twitter @GregorChisholm. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.