DUNEDIN, Fla. — Trey Yesavage feels strong and he’s eager to ramp up towards his first full season as a major-league pitcher, but he doesn’t object to the deliberate approach the Blue Jays are taking with his workload this spring.

Speaking at his locker Sunday morning, the 22-year-old said he’s “feeling fresh and ready to start playing again” after a 2025 season that saw him log 139.2 total innings, 27.2 of which came during a post-season run that catapulted him into stardom.

Once the season ended, Yesavage took some time off from throwing and lifting weights to let his body recover naturally. Now, as a new season begins, the Blue Jays are building him up slowly. He has faced hitters in live batting practice, but has yet to appear in a game, with no immediate plans for his spring debut. 

“They’re taking me slow, slower than anyone else in here,” Yesavage said. “I know they have my best interests in mind, so I have all my faith in them for whatever they plan the future to look like. I’m just following orders, per se.”

On Saturday morning, manager John Schneider said Yesavage is “checking every box” as he progresses towards game action. But the Blue Jays are mindful of the right-hander’s workload, so they’re not about to ask him to pitch 200 regular-season innings. If the Blue Jays ease him into the season, Yesavage could then have fewer restrictions down the stretch and into the playoffs.

“It’s more in discussion,” Schneider said. “We’ll see how much we can get him built up to and go from there.”

If Yesavage isn’t fully stretched out when the regular season begins, he’s fine with that.

“Yeah,” he said. “Any way I can help the team win, I’m going to do it.”

In the scenario that Yesavage starts the season with a max of 50-60 pitches, the Blue Jays might decide to piggyback someone like Eric Lauer with him so as not to tax the team’s other relievers too much. But with more than three weeks remaining before opening day, those decisions don’t have to be made just yet. And however it plays out, Yesavage is eager to build on what he did last year. 

“I know it’s a long season, something I’ve never experienced before, but I’m looking forward to playing major-league baseball for a living,” he said. “It’s very exciting.”

The day after pitching four scoreless innings against the Yankees, Jose Berrios said he’s recovering “better and better.” The right-hander’s velocity was up in his start Saturday, as he averaged 93.1 m.p.h. with his four-seam fastball while throwing 54 total pitches.

It’s an exceptionally heavy workload for this time of year, as most starting pitchers are built up to an inning or two. Yet when Berrios was working out on his own at home in Puerto Rico, he built up to 65 pitches, so he doesn’t feel as though he’s pushing himself too hard. Most importantly, he’s feeling better mentally and physically after recovering from the biceps injury that sidelined him late last year.

“It was a lot of emotion,” he said. “Last year, I didn’t end the season the way I wanted to. I’d never been on the IL. But I learned from that and learned what I need to be to be good. It’s been a process.”

Elsewhere in the starting rotation mix, Max Scherzer is expected in Blue Jays camp early next week.

The Blue Jays’ clubhouse was a little quieter Sunday morning, as the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Andres Gimenez, Ernie Clement, Kazuma Okamoto, Alejandro Kirk, Leo Jimenez, RJ Schreck, Adam Macko and C.J. Stubbs had all departed for the World Baseball Classic. There were still dozens of players around — so many that one veteran joked there should be names on the back of spring jerseys — but the absence of the Blue Jays’ entire starting infield could still be felt.

Before the players left, Schneider downplayed concern about injuries, explaining that players take risks any time they take the field, but he did express hope that his players would continue getting the reps they need while away from the team. The rest of the manager’s message for his players was simple.

“The event is a cool thing. I hope you all do well individually,” he said. “And I hope your teams all lose, no offence, so you can get back into camp.”