Phillies, Blue Jays recall Seth Johnson and Brendon Little from Triple-A

The Phillies and Blue Jays both went to Triple-A for bullpen help as the pressure shifted from depth charts to the next few innings. Seth Johnson and Brendon Little were recalled within 24 hours, and each move pointed to the same need: arms that could help right away, not later.

Philadelphia brought Johnson up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on June 18, and the timing mattered because the Phillies were juggling more than one roster need at once. Tanner Banks was optioned, Bryse Wilson had his contract selected, and Johnson was projected to work low-leverage relief innings while the club sorted through injuries and the rest of its bullpen mix. That role is a far cry from the kind of workload Johnson handled in Lehigh Valley, where he threw 27 innings with a 1.33 ERA and a 40-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

The call gave the Phillies a chance to tap into the version of Johnson that overwhelmed Triple-A hitters, even if his major-league results have lagged behind. He entered the recall with an 8.68 ERA over 14 big-league outings in 2026, a reminder that Philadelphia is still trying to bridge the gap between his minor-league dominance and his value in the majors. For now, the assignment is simpler: absorb important middle innings and keep the game in reach.

Toronto made its own bullpen adjustment the next day, recalling Brendon Little from Triple-A Buffalo and optioning Chad Dallas back to the Bisons. Little was expected to be active for the Blue Jays’ game against the Chicago Cubs, a sign that Toronto wanted a fresh left-handed option in the mix immediately. Manager John Schneider said Little was “getting pretty close,” a small but telling indication that the club believed his Triple-A work had put him back on track.

Little arrived with a 2.31 ERA in Buffalo, along with 32 strikeouts and 19 walks across 23 1/3 innings. That profile gave Toronto a usable left-hander for matchups and late-inning coverage, especially after a rough opening stretch to his 2026 season in the majors. With Dallas sent down and Little back in Toronto, the Blue Jays reshaped a bullpen spot for the kind of situational relief they needed on Friday, not a long-term overhaul.