Chris Bassitt Makes Admission After Return Against Blue Jays

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Chris Bassitt, who played for the Toronto Blue Jays for the past three seasons, played against his former team on Thursday for the first time since leaving Toronto.

The 37-year-old veteran right-hander had one of his best outings of the season against his former club, as he tossed six innings, allowing just one earned run on four hits and one walk with a pair of strikeouts. He ended up getting the no-decision in the game, as his Orioles fell to the Blue Jays 2-1 in Baltimore.

While many players who play against their former teams are friendly on game days, Bassitt said he stayed focused throughout the day to make sure he was able to have his best performance.

On Friday, Bassitt spoke about how emotional it was to play against Toronto but how he was able to stay on point throughout his start.

"There was obviously a lot of emotion," Bassitt said, according to Sportsnet reporter Arden Zwelling. "Fortunately, I've been around the game long enough that I've changed teams and dealt with this before. So yesterday, I didn't look at anybody. I saw the video of George [Springer] sticking his tongue out at me. I didn't see that. Didn't look at any of the coaches."

All fun between former teammates George Springer and Chris Bassitt pic.twitter.com/gqem5KMgGC

— MLB (@MLB) May 29, 2026

This tunnel vision worked out for Bassitt, who put together a very solid outing. During his three-year stint with the Blue Jays, he had a 37-31 record with a 3.89 ERA, striking out 520 batters while walking 181 in over 500 innings pitched.

Bassitt spoke about his time with Toronto, including winning the American League pennant and getting to the World Series in 2025.

"When I signed there three years ago, I didn't expect to have the relationship I had with all those people," he said. "I didn't expect to have some of my best friends in the world on that team. I didn't expect to make the runs we did. I'm just forever grateful for my time there."

With the win over their former pitcher, the Blue Jays secured their third consecutive victory. Toronto and Baltimore will be back in action on Friday at Camden Yards, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.

Related: Blue Jays Expected to Make Addison Barger Decision After 20 Missed Games

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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 2:11 PM.