Blue Jays-Braves Preview: Toronto lining up bullpen day

After Friday's split-squad matches, the Blue Jays are set to go with a bullpen day on Saturday. While it is not publicly known who is set to pitch, it has been announced that right-hander Jacob Barnes will serve as the opener.

The Braves starter has not yet been announced.

Bullpen days, which are also occasionally deployed in the regular season, often serve as way to give regular starters an extra day of rest, especially after a split-squad, double-header, or simply playing a large number of games in a short time span.

As it still the early days of Spring Training, and every pitcher's process is different, and given their coming off a split-squad day on Friday, the Blue Jays will likely use their bullpen day as a way of gauging the competition for the final spot in the bullpen.

Barnes, who briefly played for the Blue Jays in 2021, re-joined the club on a minor league deal two weeks. He is competing with a handful of other relievers for a spot in the bullpen but is his chances are relatively low and he is seen as outside the main group of pitchers.

This will be his second appearance of the Grapefruit League season.

During his first appearance, which came in Wednesday's 9-6 to the Philadelphia Phillies, Barnes allowed three earned runs on two hits and a walk without recording an out.

Barnes, who has spent parts of nine seasons in the majors, has shown flashes of brilliance in the past, but his biggest hurdle has always been his control.

While the game won't be televised, it available on the Fan 590 on SportsNet Radio Network.