Pre-Game Blue Jays vs. White Sox May 20
Bullpen help on the way back from IL
Prior to Monday’s Victoria Day matinee at Rogers Centre vs. the White Sox, Jays manager John Schneider provided updates on his three ailing pitchers and the expected timeline for their return to the active roster.
Over the next three days, all three injured pitchers will see action on rehab assignments at AAA-Buffalo. RH Chad Green, who was in the Jays clubhouse prior to Monday’s game, threw nine pitches Sunday for the Bisons at Rochester -- one inning, 8 strikes 1 strikeout. Green (shoulder strain) will pitch again on Wednesday.
RH Bowden Francis (forearm tendinitis) will throw two innings tomorrow at Buffalo. Francis had worked 1.1 innings vs. Rochester on Saturday, allowing a hit, with a walk and a strikeout. He threw 34 pitches. Francis will pitch one more time for the Bisons, slated to throw 40-45 pitches.
On Tuesday, RH Yariel Rodriguez (thoracic spine inflammation) will start for the Bisons and is targeted for two innings. All three pitchers will all be re-evaluated after their appearances, with all three expected to return to the active roster shortly.
With the starting rotation looking as stable as it has been in two years, with RH Alek Manoah showing a remarkable resiliency over his last two starts, the rotation could give Schneider an average of six innings per outing, leaving 21 innings per week for an eight-man bullpen. With Green and Bowden Francis on their way back, that will allow Schneider the ability to put his relievers in positions to succeed. It also allows for the injured pitchers to make sure they are 100-percent before being activated.
“You’re always trying to balance what’s best for (your players), health-wise, and at the same time pay attention to what’s going on here,” Schneider said. “But, yeah, I think the five (starters) have been pretty damned good and it allows everyone else to make sure they’re ready to go and help. As for the deep, solid five-man rotation, I think it keeps (the relievers) rested and in spots they should be in.”
Jansen batting second
On Monday, catcher Danny Jansen strolled in and found out he was batting second in the order for the first time in his career. That shuffle has completed Jansen’s career, lineup Bingo-card, having now batted in every spot in the lineup. He has only one start hitting in each of the top three spots in the order.
“He’s swinging the bat really well,” Schneider shruygged. “It’s not really matchup driven, it’s just to see how many times we can get him up. We’ll see how it goes. Nothing’s really set in stone, but I like the way he’s swinging the bat. Just looking at everyone, 1-through-13, from a position player side. You’re just looking at the quality of the at-bats and how hard he’s hit the ball. A few guys are interchangeable. But I like the way it looks right now with Jano.”
A simple message at the hitters’ meeting
The Jays had their usual first-game-of-the-series meeting where coaches had a chance to deliver a simple message about finding their way back from a sub-.500 wilderness.
“We’re about winning today,” Schneider summed it up. “That’s been the message for the last couple of days. That was the message in the meeting. You can’t get caught up in looking at your schedule and who you’re playing. You need to take care of what you can. I think guys are just focused on winning today and, no matter the outcome, you have to think the exact same way tomorrow. Easier said than done, but when you look up, over the course of a long season, if you’re winning series, it puts you in a good spot. Where we are and how we’ve played to this point, we’re trying to win today.”
Victoria Day and Vlad is in the lineup
In 2019, returning from a road trip to San Francisco and Chicago, the Jays hosted the Red Sox in a 1:07 p.m. start on. Victoria Day. The rookie third-baseman, Vlad Guerrero, had just been called up three weeks earlier and had homered in San Francisco for his first MLB blast. But he was not in the lineup and manager Charlie Montoyo heard about it from the fans and media.
Five years later, Victoria Day, with the roof open and a holiday crowd on hand, Vlad was in the lineup batting third in John Schneider’s batting order while Montoyo was bench coach across the field in the White Sox dugout.
As Jays’ P.R. man at the time, I take some of the blame for not going into the manager’s office back in 2019 and explaining the significance of Victoria Day. But hey, I’m from Montreal and we were all about St-Jean Baptiste Day.