Spencer Miles makes Blue Jays’ opening-day roster, Leo Jimenez DFA’d
Spencer Miles has landed the final bullpen spot and leo jimenez has been designated for assignment as the Toronto Blue Jays close in on their Opening Day roster. The moves finalize key late spring decisions ahead of the club’s season opener on Friday at 7 p. m. ET. The roster shake-up leaves a clearer path for Davis Schneider to join the 26-player group.
Spencer Miles clinches final bullpen spot
Right-hander Spencer Miles was selected from the San Francisco Giants in the December Rule 5 Draft and has won the team’s last bullpen spot after competing throughout spring training. Miles missed the 2025 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery and spent 2024 pitching in the Arizona Complex League, where he posted a 4. 91 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 7. 2 innings. In spring work with the Blue Jays he recorded a 3. 72 ERA across 9. 2 innings, striking out 11 and issuing five walks.
The addition of Miles effectively ends the spring battle for the final relief slot, a competition that included right-hander Chase Lee. Lee had a 4. 10 ERA in 32 games last season with the Detroit Tigers and did not allow a run in six spring appearances, but the Blue Jays are moving forward with Miles on the Opening Day roster.
Leo Jimenez DFA and roster ripple
Infielder Leo Jimenez has been designated for assignment, a move that appears to open a roster spot for Davis Schneider on Opening Day. Jimenez appeared in 18 games in 2025 and posted a 0. 69/. 129/. 172 slash line with one home run and one RBI in 29 plate appearances. The designation signals a roster decision that favors carrying certain bench and bullpen pieces into the season-opening game.
The Blue Jays also announced they would not carry their other Rule 5 pick, Angel Bastardo, on the Opening Day roster; that decision gives the Boston Red Sox the opportunity to reclaim Bastardo. Bastardo finished spring with a 4. 70 ERA in seven outings with the club.
What’s next for the roster and Opening Day
The club is finalizing a 26-player roster ahead of Friday’s opener against the Athletics at 7 p. m. ET. Miles’ selection and Jimenez’s designation are the latest in a string of late decisions that will determine the makeup of the bullpen and bench when the Blue Jays begin the 2026 campaign.
With Spencer Miles slotted into the pen and leo jimenez removed from the 40-man mix, attention now turns to how the Blue Jays will deploy their bullpen early and which bench options will see playing time in the opening weeks. The team must complete any roster moves mandated by Jimenez’s designation in the coming days as they prepare to take the field on Friday at 7 p. m. ET.
