After their World Series heartbreak, the Toronto Blue Jays want a redo this year, and manager John Schneider is working to put the best team on the field every day. But their first away series in the 2026 season has not been a productive one so far. With Toronto looking to avoid a series sweep against the Chicago White Sox, the Blue Jays appear to have lost faith in a lefty reliever.

In Sunday’s series finale against the White Sox, the Blue Jays’ bullpen will be missing left-hander Brendon Little. In his 5 appearances for the Blue Jays in 2026, Little has struggled heavily, posting a 24.55 ERA in 3.2 innings. So, Toronto has turned its faith to veteran arms, Austin Voth and Joe Mantiply. Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reported the development first on X, stating that Little appears to have been optioned.

“Joe Mantiply and Austin Voth are here in Chicago. No official word, but appears Brendon Little has been optioned,” wrote Nicholson-Smith.

Through their official X handle, the Toronto Blue Jays later confirmed the news. While Mantiply and Voth are now on Toronto’s major league roster, Little will be sent to Triple-A Buffalo.

The 29-year-old lefty reliever took the mound against the White Sox when the Blue Jays were leading 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth. But he blew up the lead, allowing two homers, including a two-run shot to Munetaka Murakami. The Blue Jays ultimately lost the match 6-3.

While speaking to the media following the loss, Schneider addressed Little’s continued struggles this season. Little holds a 0-2 record, having allowed 10 hits, 11 runs, 10 earned runs, 3 homers, 3 walks, with only 6 strikeouts.

“We’ve got to figure it out,” stated Schneider. “We’re going to try to put the best team out there every single day, so we’ll definitely sit down and talk about it.”

For now, Little’s immediate destination will be the minors, aiming for a bounce-back. Last season, he put on a promising show, posting a 3.03 ERA across 68.1 innings with 91 strikeouts and allowing only 2 homers.

After signing minor league deals with Toronto in the spring, Mantiply and Voth will get their chance at the majors this season. Mantiply had last pitched in the MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks in May 2025, when he held an ERA of 15.83. The former All-Star ended the last season in the Blue Jays system logging a 3.45 ERA in 14 games for the Buffalo Bisons. This season, Mantiply has pitched in only 2 games in the minors so far, recording a 2.45 ERA in 3.2 innings.

Voth, however, spent the 2025 season in Japan, pitching at the Nippon Professional League. His last MLB appearance came with the Seattle Mariners in 2024. After signing with the Blue Jays, Voth made only one start in the Triple-A this year.

To make space for Mantiply and Voth on their 40-man rosters, the Blue Jays have moved Cody Ponce and Anthony Santander to the 60-day IL.

Alongside Little, a right-handed reliever will also head to the Triple-A Bisons.

Blue Jays option Lázaro Estrada

The Blue Jays have announced a number of roster moves ahead of their series finale against the White Sox. One such move includes optioning right-handed reliever Lázaro Estrada to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. While Toronto opiton Brendon Little essentially due to his disastrous outing against Chicago, Estrada’s case is completely different.

Estrada was excellent in his bulk relief outing on Saturday against the White Sox. He delivered four hitless innings with three strikeouts and walking two batters. But he threw 66 pitches during the match and would likely be unavailable for several days. In order to presumably give him adequate recovery time, the Blue Jays have sent him down to the minors.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays would also get a chance to add depth to their bullpen. The 26-year-old, Estrada, is currently in the pre-arbitration phase, with arbitration starting in 2029. While Estrada had recorded an 8.59 ERA in 2 appearances last season, his performance looks promising this year. If Estrada continues to pitch as he did against the White Sox, his call to the majors will likely come soon.