Turnbull inching closer to Blue Jays' debut

Turnbull is likely still a couple of weeks away as the Blue Jays would like to see him make another 4-5 starts, consistent with the average work a pitcher in Spring Training, including a final tune-up at Triple-A.

With Max Scherzer suffering a setback, the Blue Jays are treading a fine line right now when it comes to their rotation. Yes, Jose Urena and Eric Lauer have filled in admirably in recent times, but Bowden Francis has also given up a league-leading 14 home runs. It's not only about health, it's also about consistency.

Turnbull has the raw stuff to be a great addition to the rotation, but the key for him will be to remain healthy. He has only started 20 games more than once in his career, in 2019 when he made 30 starts for the Tigers, and already been through Tommy John surgery once in his career.

He has had some moments, throwing a no-hitter for the Detroit Tigers on May 18th, 2021.

While his career record is 15-29, that is largely due to an ugly 17 loss season he had with Detroit in 2019. The Jays don't need him a 20, or even 15 game winner. What they need is a reliable back-end starter. If Turnbull can do that, it will be a win.