Brendon Little is back with the Toronto Blue Jays today, reinstated from the paternity list just in time for the series finale against the Yankees.
To make room, left-hander Ricky Tiedemann has been optioned back to Triple-A after his recent call-up.
Congratulations remain in order for Little and his family on their new addition, and it's a welcome return for a pitcher who's had a difficult season on the mound, carrying a 12.00 ERA across 11 appearances and 12 innings this year.
Tiedemann's stint at the big league level was brief, part of a call-up that came together quickly given Toronto's ongoing pitching needs following injuries to Trey Yesavage and Jameson Taillon.
Sending him back down doesn't necessarily reflect poorly on his performance, more likely reflecting simple roster logistics with Little's return creating the need for a corresponding move.
Toronto sits at 61-64, fourth in the American League East, looking to complete a sweep of New York today after already securing the series with a win.
Why this swap makes sense given the circumstances
Bringing back a pitcher from the paternity list takes priority over almost any other roster consideration, and Toronto clearly wanted Little back in the fold as soon as he was eligible to return.
Tiedemann, still working his way back from a long injury layoff, likely benefits from more consistent innings at Triple-A regardless of how his brief big league look went.
It's a bit like a substitute teacher stepping aside the moment the regular teacher is ready to come back, the transition simply a matter of timing rather than performance.
Does Tiedemann's brief stay signal he needs more development time before a real opportunity comes again, or was this always just a short-term fill-in move given Little's known return date?
Toronto goes for the sweep today against New York, with Little back in the mix after some much more important time away from the game.
Are you glad to see Brendon Little back from the paternity list today?
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