GDB -5.0: Spring Training continues for Toronto Blue Jays with close-to-opening day lineup
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Photo credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Zach Laing
Feb 28, 2024, 12:00 ESTUpdated: Feb 28, 2024, 12:15 EST
The Alek Manoah Revenge Tour may not have gotten off to the greatest of starts yesterday, but Spring Training rolls on.
There are undoubtedly things to be concerned about, namely Manoah’s lack of control, but his fastball was in the 95-96 MPH zone, and it’s something he was happy with.
Today, the Jays take on the Tampa Bay Rays as veteran arm Paolo Espino takes the mound for Toronto. In the lineup, meanwhile, the Blue Jays are rolling with a number of players who will be in the lineup regularly for the team this season.
Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Justin Turner, Danny Jansen, Daulton Varsho, Davis Schneider and Santiago Espinal — who the Jays will be expecting big things from this campaign.
Let’s see what they can do today against Ryan Pepiot, who the Rays acquired this offseason in the Tyler Glasnow deal.

First pitch: 1:05 p.m. EST — TV: Sportsnet. Radio: MLB.com.
Moneyline: TOR -175; TBR +142.
Spread: TOR -1.5 +115; TBR +1.5 -139.
Over/Under: o8.5 -120; u8.5 -102.
*Odds available at the time of writing. Odds subject to change.

Starting pitchers (2023 statistics):

Name
Team
GS
W
L
IP
ERA
xERA
ERA-
FIP
WHIP
K/9
BB/9
Ryan Pepiot
TBR
3
2
1
42
2.14
3.25
50
4.18
0.76
8.14
1.07
Paolo Espino
TOR
0
0
0
4
24.75
16.46
564
7.26
4.25
6.75
6.75

Lineups:

TORONTO:
  1. B Bichette (R) SS
  2. V Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B
  3. J Turner (R) DH
  4. D Jansen (R) C
  5. D Varsho (L) CF
  6. D Schneider (R) 2B
  7. S Espinal (R) 3B
  8. N Lukes (L) RF
  9. C Eden (R) LF
TAMPA BAY:
  1. A Rosario (R) RF
  2. J Aranda (L) 1B
  3. I Paredes (R) 3B
  4. A Shenton (L) DH
  5. J Siri (R) CF
  6. R Palacios (L) LF
  7. A Jackson (R) C
  8. Y Chang (R) SS
  9. R Simon (S) 2B

Need to bide the time until first pitch?

Tune into the latest edition of Blue Jays Nation Radio as the crew talks spring training.

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.

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