For new players looking to earn a spot in the big tournaments, it usually comes down to making the most of the opportunities given to them. In the case of Toronto Blue Jays pitcher prospect Chad Dallas, he may now finally have a real chance to prove he belongs in the MLB.
On Tuesday, the Blue Jays optioned rookie outfielder Johendrik Pinango to the minors and invited Dallas to take his place on the major league roster, according to Sportsnet’s Hazel May. The 26-year-old right-hander was called up to the team twice before this season.
Both stints were short-lived, however, as Dallas only appeared in one game in his major league debut the first time around and didn’t even see any game action the second time around. As a result, the third time may be the Blue Jays pitching prospect’s magic chance to earn his spot in the big leagues.
Chosen by Johendrik Pinango, Chad Dallas is located here in San Francisco.
— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) July 7, 2026
Can Chad Dallas earn his spot on the Blue Jays’ big league roster forever?
Dallas was selected by Toronto in the fourth round of the 2021 MLB Draft. He was ranked as the Blue Jays’ 15th-best prospect in the system by MLB Pipeline. It seemed like a long road to the majors for the rookie right-hander, even though he rose through the Blue Jays’ minor league system in his first three professional years in baseball.
That’s because Dallas suffered a major setback when he had to undergo Tommy John surgery on his right pitching elbow late in 2024. As a result, the lengthy recovery process will keep him out of action for the entire 2025 season.
By returning healthy for 2026, Dallas hopes to go out and once again prove why he was one of the top prospects in the organization at one point. Starting the year with the Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, he posted a solid 3.44 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, along with 18 walks and 48 strikeouts in 49.2 total innings over 14 appearances, including 10 starts.
It was the best he’s seen since his breakout 2023 campaign, when he posted a strong 9-3 record, 3.65 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 144 strikeouts in 123.1 innings over 23 starts. A performance like this likely gave Dallas a chance to become a major league team this year.
Although he appeared in just one game for the Blue Jays on June 4 against a strong Atlanta Braves team in his MLB debut, he impressed, allowing just one run on two hits, with two walks and two strikeouts in 3.2 innings of work, earning his first big league win in the process. Dallas will definitely be hoping he can last much longer this time, building on his first appearance and making sure sending him back is no longer an option.
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