Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Ricky Tiedemann throws a rubber ball against a wall during spring training action in Dunedin, Fla., on Feb. 21, 2024.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
Nestled in a minor-league workout area away from the big-league training fields at the Blue Jays’ player development complex, Ricky Tiedemann lowers his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame into a deep squat.
Sporting a sleeve on his surgically repaired left arm, the highly ranked prospect is shifting weight, loosening his hips, and re-establishing pitching stances as he continues a slow buildup for what he hopes is a return to play in late summer.
“I feel great. I feel brand new again,” Tiedemann said.
The 22-year-old southpaw underwent Tommy John surgery last July, a procedure that typically comes with a recovery time of 12-14 months.
A 2026 return is more likely for Toronto’s fourth-ranked prospect, who has dazzled in the minor leagues since being selected by the Blue Jays in the third round of the 2021 draft.
“It’s always as soon as possible,” Tiedemann said of his return. “I don’t have a date set in my mind. It’s more how I’m feeling right now. I don’t want to look too far ahead. When you look too far ahead, you forget how things are going right now.
“You don’t want to do that. You want to take it a day at a time.”
For Tiedemann, injury rehabilitation is a process he knows well. He has been saddled with various issues throughout his young career.
Left biceps inflammation cut into Tiedemann’s innings total in 2023, when he pitched 44 frames across four minor-league levels. He was pitcher of the year in the Arizona Fall League after striking out 23 batters over 18 innings.
Tiedemann drew raves at major-league camp last spring and started the season at Triple-A Buffalo. Nerve inflammation in his left elbow forced him to the injured list in April.
He returned to the Bisons in July but left his first appearance after one inning due to left forearm tightness. Tiedemann was shut down and had surgery that month.
Now over seven months into his recovery, Tiedemann is focusing on workouts and drills as he regains strength and mobility. He’ll throw rubber balls at a padded wall at the Dunedin, Fla., facility and incorporate stretching, weight training and plyometric drills into his routine.
It’s all part of a building-block process that will eventually see him throwing on a mound but requires patience along the way.
“It’s really time-consuming and really tedious,” Tiedemann said in a recent interview. “But when you think about the end goal and think about the small wins that you’re having every day and every week, it’s huge for me.”
Tiedemann can hit 98 mph (157.72 km/h) on the radar gun and boasts a sweeping slider and effective change-up. Over 41 career minor-league appearances, he has a 3.02 earned-run average with 226 strikeouts and 68 walks over 140 innings.
He has electric stuff but given his injury history, he won’t be rushed back.
“We’ll just take it as it comes with him,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “We would love for him to get back and pitch. This is an important time for Rick in his career. You want him to get out and get those experiences and get the reps.
“We’ll see as he gets closer.”
With fellow prospects Brandon Barriera and Landen Maroudis among those out after surgery, the team’s mental performance staff has set up group meetings for the players.
“It’s all elbow guys,” Tiedemann said. “We all go in a room every few weeks and talk about what we’ve been going through. Guys that are ahead of us are there [for] questions, so you can really chop it up with those guys and see how they’re feeling.
“So you know that you’re not going through something uniquely to you. If you’re feeling something, it’s something that everybody has gone through. It’s good because it relieves everybody’s minds of the stress and anxiety.”
The Blue Jays have a veteran-heavy rotation this season that features Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer, who has been nursing a sore thumb in recent days.
Bowden Francis and Yariel Rodriguez are other contenders for a five-man crew that will be finalized ahead of the March 27 season opener against the visiting Baltimore Orioles.
Right-hander Alek Manoah, who underwent surgery last June to repair his right ulnar collateral ligament, started throwing from a mound again last week. He’s targeting an August return.
Tiedemann is hoping to follow a similar path that may see him back before the fall.
“It all feels great again,” he said with a smile. “I feel stronger than ever.”
