The Toronto Blue Jays lineup will include a rookie pitcher making his first career start on Friday, May 29, against the Baltimore Orioles.
Left-hander Adam Macko will draw the start in the second game of the series, reports Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet. The 25-year-old has pitched strictly out of the bullpen up to this point. Macko has tossed 4.1 scoreless innings across six appearances as a reliever.
Given that Macko has maxed out at 20 pitches in the big leagues, he’s unlikely to cover more than an inning or two. The lefty has only recorded more than three outs once this season. Right-hander Austin Voth is a candidate to work in bulk relief. The veteran nearly completed three innings in his first appearance with Toronto, which came back in early April.
Toronto Blue Jays Lineup Today: Adam Macko Will Make First Career Start
Macko grew up in Canada, but it was a long journey to get there. He was born in Bratislava, Slovakia. His family moved to Ireland before coming to Canada. Macko is the third player in MLB history from Slovakia. He joined Toronto’s bullpen midway through May.
The Seattle Mariners selected Macko in the seventh round of the 2019 draft. He pitched decently in the lower levels of Seattle’s minor league system. The Mariners traded Macko and right-hander Erik Swanson to the Blue Jays for outfielder Teoscar Hernandez in November 2022. Macko ascended Toronto’s minor league ladder, reaching Triple-A by 2024. He struggled in a repeat of the level last season, pitching to a 5.06 ERA with Buffalo. Macko posted a 4.50 ERA across 13 appearances in the minors this year.
Macko is making his first start as a big leaguer, but he has plenty of experience in the role from his time in the minors. The lefty operated strictly as a starter in 2024, making 20 starts between Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. He began his transition to the bullpen last season. Macko made 14 starts and nine relief appearances in 2025. All 18 of his innings at Triple-A this year have come as a reliever.
Austin Voth Gets A Look With the Blue Jays
The 33-year-old Voth made his return stateside this year after spending last season in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. The righty delivered a sub-4.00 ERA across 22 starts with the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2025. He joined the Blue Jays on a minor league deal in March. Voth was designated for assignment after his one outing earlier this season, but chose to re-up with Toronto on another minor league agreement.
Voth debuted with the Washington Nationals in 2018. He was generally unsuccessful as a part-time member of the Nats’ rotation. Voth moved to relief in 2021. He scuffled to a 5.34 ERA in 49 appearances with Washington, all but one of which came out of the bullpen. Voth bounced around to multiple clubs after his time in D.C. ended. The veteran pitched for the Baltimore Orioles and the Mariners before heading to NPB. He has a 4.69 ERA across 363 innings in the majors. Voth should be able to cover several frames behind Macko on Friday.
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