The 29-year-old lefty reliever took the mound against the Chicago White Sox when the Toronto 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. Now, with Toronto looking to avoid a series sweep, the team is making immediate changes to its bullpen.

“Joe Mantiply and Austin Voth are here in Chicago. No official word, but appears Brendon Little has been optioned,” Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reported the development first on X.

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 to its veteran arms.

Austin Voth and Joe Mantiply.

Later, the Toronto Blue Jays confirmed the news on their official X handle.

While Mantiply and Voth are now on Toronto’s major league roster, Little will be sent to Triple-A Buffalo.

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.

Meanwhile, after signing minor league deals with Toronto, Mantiply and Voth will get their chance at the majors this season.

Mantiply had last pitched in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks in May 2025, when he held an ERA of 15.83. The former All-Star ended 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, 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. Voth is 17-19 with a 4.70 ERA over seven major league seasons. After signing with the Blue Jays, Voth made only one start in Triple-A this year, allowing two runs in three innings.

To make space for Mantiply and Voth on their 40-man rosters, the Blue Jays have also 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 announced several roster moves ahead of their series finale against the White Sox. Another such move includes optioning right-handed reliever Lázaro Estrada to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.

While Toronto optioned 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 walked two batters.

But he threw 66 pitches during the match and would likely be unavailable for several days. 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 he continues to pitch as he did against the White Sox, his call to the majors will likely come soon.