<p align="center" style="font-size: 10px">
<img decoding="async" src="//thenationnetwork.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/16/ca/article_16ca5c69-23e8-401d-b5a7-37fed189f48f.jpg" alt="Marco Estrada" style="width: 100%; height: auto;"><br />Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports</p>
<p><span>Another day, another late afternoon update on an injured Blue Jays player. Unlike yesterday’s Jose Bautista news, though, this one actually has immediate on-field consequence, as the club has decided to be cautious with All-Star Marco Estrada, and have placed him on the DL to ease his aching back.</span></p>
<p><span>Or maybe just to keep him from further damaging himself.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span>Estrada, you surely know by now, has been dealing with this back issue for most of the season, but had a particularly nasty flare-up after swinging the bat in Philadelphia a couple weeks back. He received multiple cortisone shots this week, with the hope being that he’d be ready to take his scheduled rotation turn on Thursday. The way he battled through his previous starts, I’m sure he’d have taken the ball if he could have. But the Jays have chosen to take the decision out of his hands, giving him a whole bunch of time to rest, while &#8212; thanks to the All-Star break &#8212; only missing a couple of starts.</span></p>
<p><span>The first he’ll miss comes tomorrow against Detroit &#8212; and it’s likely, </span><a href="https://twitter.com/AlykhanKR/status/750789620791668736"><span>tweets</span></a><span> Alykhan Ravjiani of BlueJays.com, that Estrada won’t pitch in Arizona after the break, either. Expect him back in the club’s first homestand of the second half, we’re told, which… makes a lot of sense.</span></p>
<p><span>Barry Davis tweets that <strike>Ryan Tepera</strike> Bo Schultz (same difference) has been promoted back to the big club to take Estrada’s place on the roster (and Hutchison’s place in the bullpen) &#8212; something he could have only done because of an injury (since he was demoted over the weekend, and players must spend 10 days in the minors after a demotion, unless they’re called up as an injury-replacement).</span></p>
<p><span>So… yeah. There you go.</span></p>
<p><span>Meanwhile, the trash Royals keep on getting trashed and look to again become figurative trash following a good trashing at the hands of the Jays tonight. Fingers crossed for more of the good Stroman!!</span></p>
<h2><span>Scuttlebutt</span></h2>
<p><span>Marco Estrada says he’ll still go to the All-Star game, according to a tweet from… everyone.</span></p>
<p><span>“Asked again about using days off after the break to give Sanchez extra rest, Gibbons said &#8220;he&#8217;s been too damned good&#8221; to slow him down,” </span><a href="https://twitter.com/LottOnBaseball/status/750787932261216256"><span>tweets</span></a><span> John Lott. “Kind of painted ourselves into a corner, haven’t we?” Gibbers </span><a href="https://twitter.com/LottOnBaseball/status/750788234574065665"><span>asked</span></a><span> rhetorically.</span></p>
<p><span>Speaking of Sanchez, am I supposed to lobby for him to get on the All-Star team now that Estrada&#8217;s spot is open? Meh. People sure are talking about it, I guess. But meh. I mean, I&#8217;m sure enough people will drop out that he&#8217;ll get a chance. Would be cool for him, and deserved, but seriously&#8230; meh. (I imagine the Jays would ask that he not actually be used, were this to happen, so&#8230; meh.)</span></p>
<p><span></span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Going for the Royal Flush today ? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jays?src=hash">#Jays</a></p>
<p>— LaBelle (@mattlabelle) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattlabelle/status/750725135657730048">July 6, 2016</a>
</p></blockquote>
<p><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></p>
<p>I believe for the first time since I started putting the AL East standings into the below section of our Game Threats, we&#8217;ve actually had a change in the order, as the Jays now sit second, a half game ahead of Boston&#8217;s season-that-will-end-in-delicious-tears.</p>
<p><b>TV</b>: Sportsnet<br /><b>Next Game(s)</b>: Thursday vs. Detroit, 7:07 PM ET<br /><b>AL East Standings</b>: BAL (-), <b>TOR (2.5)</b>, BOS (3), NYY (7), TBR (14)<br /><i>And now, the lineups&#8230;</i></p>
<h2>Toronto Blue Jays</h2>
<div></div>
<div>Ezequiel Carrera(L) LF</div>
<div>Josh Donaldson(R) 3B</div>
<div>Edwin Encarnacion(R) 1B</div>
<div>Michael Saunders(L) DH</div>
<div>Russell Martin(R) C</div>
<div>Troy Tulowitzki(R) SS</div>
<div>Kevin Pillar(R) CF</div>
<div>Junior Lake(R) RF</div>
<div>Devon Travis(R) 2B</div>
<div></div>
<div>Marcus Stroman RHP</div>
<h2>Kansas City Trash Royals</h2>
<div></div>
<div>Alex Gordon(L) LF</div>
<div>Whit Merrifield(R) 2B</div>
<div>Eric Hosmer(L) 1B</div>
<div>Salvador Perez(R) C</div>
<div>Cheslor Cuthbert(R) 3B</div>
<div>Paulo Orlando(R) RF</div>
<div>Brett Eibner(R) DH</div>
<div>Alcides Escobar(R) SS</div>
<div>Jarrod Dyson(L) CF</div>
<div></div>
<div>Ian Kennedy RHP</div>

<p align="center" style="font-size: 10px">
<img src="//thenationnetwork.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/16/ca/article_16ca5c69-23e8-401d-b5a7-37fed189f48f.jpg" alt="Marco Estrada" style="width: 100%; height: auto;"><br>Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports</p><p><span>Another day, another late afternoon update on an injured Blue Jays player. Unlike yesterday’s Jose Bautista news, though, this one actually has immediate on-field consequence, as the club has decided to be cautious with All-Star Marco Estrada, and have placed him on the DL to ease his aching back.</span></p><p><span>Or maybe just to keep him from further damaging himself.</span></p><p><span>Estrada, you surely know by now, has been dealing with this back issue for most of the season, but had a particularly nasty flare-up after swinging the bat in Philadelphia a couple weeks back. He received multiple cortisone shots this week, with the hope being that he’d be ready to take his scheduled rotation turn on Thursday. The way he battled through his previous starts, I’m sure he’d have taken the ball if he could have. But the Jays have chosen to take the decision out of his hands, giving him a whole bunch of time to rest, while -- thanks to the All-Star break -- only missing a couple of starts.</span></p><p><span>The first he’ll miss comes tomorrow against Detroit -- and it’s likely, </span><a href="https://twitter.com/AlykhanKR/status/750789620791668736"><span>tweets</span></a><span> Alykhan Ravjiani of BlueJays.com, that Estrada won’t pitch in Arizona after the break, either. Expect him back in the club’s first homestand of the second half, we’re told, which… makes a lot of sense.</span></p><p><span>Barry Davis tweets that <strike>Ryan Tepera</strike> Bo Schultz (same difference) has been promoted back to the big club to take Estrada’s place on the roster (and Hutchison’s place in the bullpen) -- something he could have only done because of an injury (since he was demoted over the weekend, and players must spend 10 days in the minors after a demotion, unless they’re called up as an injury-replacement).</span></p><p><span>So… yeah. There you go.</span></p><p><span>Meanwhile, the trash Royals keep on getting trashed and look to again become figurative trash following a good trashing at the hands of the Jays tonight. Fingers crossed for more of the good Stroman!!</span></p><h2><span>Scuttlebutt</span></h2><p><span>Marco Estrada says he’ll still go to the All-Star game, according to a tweet from… everyone.</span></p><p><span>“Asked again about using days off after the break to give Sanchez extra rest, Gibbons said "he's been too damned good" to slow him down,” </span><a href="https://twitter.com/LottOnBaseball/status/750787932261216256"><span>tweets</span></a><span> John Lott. “Kind of painted ourselves into a corner, haven’t we?” Gibbers </span><a href="https://twitter.com/LottOnBaseball/status/750788234574065665"><span>asked</span></a><span> rhetorically.</span></p><p><span>Speaking of Sanchez, am I supposed to lobby for him to get on the All-Star team now that Estrada's spot is open? Meh. People sure are talking about it, I guess. But meh. I mean, I'm sure enough people will drop out that he'll get a chance. Would be cool for him, and deserved, but seriously... meh. (I imagine the Jays would ask that he not actually be used, were this to happen, so... meh.)</span></p><p><span></span></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Going for the Royal Flush today ? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jays?src=hash">#Jays</a></p>— LaBelle (@mattlabelle) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattlabelle/status/750725135657730048">July 6, 2016</a>
</blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p></p><p>I believe for the first time since I started putting the AL East standings into the below section of our Game Threats, we've actually had a change in the order, as the Jays now sit second, a half game ahead of Boston's season-that-will-end-in-delicious-tears.</p><p><b>TV</b>: Sportsnet<br><b>Next Game(s)</b>: Thursday vs. Detroit, 7:07 PM ET<br><b>AL East Standings</b>: BAL (-), <b>TOR (2.5)</b>, BOS (3), NYY (7), TBR (14)<br><i>And now, the lineups...</i><br></p><h2>Toronto Blue Jays</h2><div></div><div>Ezequiel Carrera(L) LF</div><div>Josh Donaldson(R) 3B</div><div>Edwin Encarnacion(R) 1B</div><div>Michael Saunders(L) DH</div><div>Russell Martin(R) C</div><div>Troy Tulowitzki(R) SS</div><div>Kevin Pillar(R) CF</div><div>Junior Lake(R) RF</div><div>Devon Travis(R) 2B</div><div><br></div><div>Marcus Stroman RHP</div><h2>Kansas City Trash Royals</h2><div></div><div>Alex Gordon(L) LF</div><div>Whit Merrifield(R) 2B</div><div>Eric Hosmer(L) 1B</div><div>Salvador Perez(R) C</div><div>Cheslor Cuthbert(R) 3B</div><div>Paulo Orlando(R) RF</div><div>Brett Eibner(R) DH</div><div>Alcides Escobar(R) SS</div><div>Jarrod Dyson(L) CF</div><div><br></div><div>Ian Kennedy RHP</div>

Estrada to the DL (Also, this is your Royal Flush threat): Jays (47-39) vs. Royals (43-40)

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