Taylor Cole

Position: RHP
Born: 08/20/89
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 200
B/T: R/R
Acquired: Drafted in the 29th round of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft (TOR).

Most Recent Stats at Time of Debut
0-0 with an 0.00 ERA in nine games among Gulf Coast League (Rookie), Dunedin (High A) and Buffalo (Triple-A), striking out 16 while walking two in 12 2/3 innings of six-hit shutout ball, limiting hitters to a .133 BAA.

Info & MLB Debut Date
Contract purchased from Buffalo on August 5, when RHP Mike Bolsinger was designated for assignment.
MLB Debut Date: 08/09/17

Debut Details
August 9, in an 11-5 loss to the Yankees. The sixth of seven pitchers on the night for the Jays, he allowed four runs, all earned, on six hits over one inning, walking one and striking out one. Of 41 pitches thrown, 25 were for strikes. He also inherited one runner and allowed him to score. After not playing for the first four nights since his promotion, he came into the game as the third pitcher in the top of the eighth inning with the Jays trailing, 6-5. Coming on with one on and one out in relief of left-handed reliever J.P Howell, he gave up a double to left to Garrett Cooper which allowed his inherited runner, Todd Frazier, to advance to third, before Ronald Torreyes delivered a two-run single to center and moved to second on the throw. After Brett Gardner walked, Chase Headley singled to left but Torreyes was thrown out attempting to score, for the second out of the inning. Cole then enjoyed the highlight of his brief big-league career when he struck out Aaron Judge swinging to end the inning. In the ninth, Didi Gregorious led things off with an infield single and was joined on the bases by Gary Sanchez, who singled to center. Cole then hit Frazier with a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Jacoby Ellsbury's soft ground-out to second allowed Gregorius to score before Cooper delivered a two-run single to center to score Sanchez and Frazier at which the Jays brought in right-handed reliever Danny Barnes who retired the next two batters to end the inning with no more damage.

Player Notes
Cole, now in his seventh season with the Blue Jays, was originally drafted out of Brigham Young and has been a consistent if not overpowering presence in the system, usually as a starter, compiling a career 3.56 ERA. In 2016, he combined between Dunedin and New Hampshire (Double-A) to go 4-4 with a 3.97 ERA in 15 games, striking out 62 and walking 20 in 77 innings while allowing 90 hits after posting a full season at New Hampshire in 2015 when he made 28 starts, including throwing a shutout, and fanned 128 in 164 innings, allowing 177 hits and walking 55. He missed the first three months of the 2017 season with a torn labrum before returning to action on July 5, so in retrospect his just-begun stint on the 10-day DL (in the majors, at least) due to a fractured toe may seem like small stuff in comparison.