Photo Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
It’s a good thing the Jays took two of three from the A’s over the weekend, and not only for the obvious reason. The White Sox have now come to town, and the club is banged up, with Josh Thole starting tonight for Russell Martin, who has a sore neck, and Darwin Barney in at third base for Josh Donaldson, who is still smarting from being hit by a Liam Hendriks pitch on Saturday.
Donaldson will DH, at least, but an extended run of Thole is… not ideal. And it’s exacerbated by the fact that the club has yet to send down Drew Hutchison. John Lott tweets that because Hutchison has yet to clear optional waivers (which are revokable, and thus a formality), he’s still here. The he’ll be clear to go to Buffalo at 1 PM on Tuesday. Which can’t come soon enough for John Gibbons, I’d bet, as he sounds like he’d like a backup third baseman on the roster (i.e. the Bisons’ Matt Dominguez).
So… yeah. Don’t anybody go getting hurt in this one!
Barring that, the Jays have got Marcus Stroman on the hill and their bats are getting woke, finally, so I’m sure they’ll be fine…
Scuttlebutt
John Gibbons told reporters today that the club had considered sending Chris Colabello to Buffalo to get his bat going, before word of his suspension came. That’s interesting, but doesn’t the timing of the move for Jesus Montero late in spring tell us that maybe somebody already knew something? I dunno…
Gibbons also notes that Darwin Barney is acting as the Jays’ emergency catcher tonight.
Hey, but Michael Saunders is at least back. He’s down in the lineup today, because when you’ve got the indomitable Zeke going so hot, how can you not have him lead off? Kevin Pillar is getting a day off, so Zeke’s got CF, which I’m sure won’t be an insufferable adventure at all.
Jimmy Rollins!
GO, Jays, go!
This team has as much of a chance of making the playoffs as my bum.