Spring Threat: A Visit From Something Approximating the Detroit Tigers

7 years ago

The Blue Jays and Tigers will play a Spring Training game today in Dunedin.

It’s… uh… yeah, I got nothing.

Here are some notes!

Update: Uh… something changed, or I had some bad info, because it was Ryan Tepera who started. SPRING TRAINING FOR BLOGGERERS! Ho ho ho. Here’s what I’d originally written: Ryan Borucki gets the start for the Jays, which is at the very least mildly intriguing. He’s a starter and hasn’t pitched above High-A ball, but was a name that was thrown around earlier this winter as potential big league help for the Jays’ bullpen. The club has since acquired enough lefty relief depth that he’s surely not in that equation anymore, but he’s had trouble staying healthy in his career, so if they think he isn’t ever going to be any more than a reliever anyway, you could end up seeing him in Toronto this year.

Kevin Pillar is leading off for the Jays, who will run out some actual big leaguers today, including Jose Bautista, Russell Martin, and — if you want to include them as big leaguers — Melvin Upton and Justin Smoak.

Having Pillar lead off in a game that counts would be an unbelievably terrible idea, and yet, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith’s latest at Sportsnet, it’s precisely what the centre fielder is hoping to do. Good luck with that, Kevin! Now let’s please never speak of it again.

Hey, and while we’re speaking of Benny Fresh, I thought he did a great job on the radio broadcast of Tuesday’s game, and am looking forward to hearing more from him. Note to broadcasters: your colour commentator doesn’t always have to be an ex-player!

Right-hander Michael Fulmer was one of a small number of bright spots for the Tigers last season, and he probably will be today, too, after Smoak and Upton go waving through a bunch of pitches.

Laura Armstrong of the Toronto Star has an update on Josh Donaldson’s health, which sounds fine, even if he’s not exactly rushing back, given that it’s March 1st.

TV: None

Radio: MLB.com

Next game: Thursday, 1 PM ET, vs. Phillies

And now, the lineups…

Toronto Blue Jays

Kevin Pillar(R) CF

Russell Martin(R) C

Jose Bautista(R) DH

Justin Smoak(S) 1B

Melvin Upton Jr.(R) LF

Darrell Ceciliani(L) RF

Darwin Barney(R) SS

Ryan Goins(L) 2B

Jake Elmore(R) 3B

Ryan Borucki LHP

Andrew Romine(S) 3B

Tyler Collins(L) DH

Justin Upton(R) LF

Steven Moya(L) RF

JaCoby Jones(R) CF

James McCann(R) C

Efren Navarro(L) 1B

Dixon Machado(R) 2B

Brendan Ryan(R) SS

Michael Fulmer RHP