TORONTO – As much as the Toronto Blue Jays set in place their roster over the winter and during spring training, they still have things to figure out about themselves, too.
From exactly how they’ll rotate through their four everyday outfielders and spread the DH at-bats around once George Springer returns from the injured list, to optimizing bullpen roles, expect some trial and error in the days and weeks to come.
Nowhere does that apply as much as to the starting rotation behind Hyun-Jin Ryu, of course, which is set through the next turn, but will soon face some adjustment once Robbie Ray, who felt good the day after throwing a side session, is ready to return from an elbow injury.
Where Ross Stripling, who allowed three runs in three skipping-across-a-highway innings in Saturday’s 5-3 loss to the New York Yankees, fits best is one consideration. The same applies to T.J. Zeuch, who starts Sunday’s series finale. After Steven Matz pitches in Monday’s opener at the Texas Rangers, Tanner Roark gets the ball and he’ll need to build on the progress he made in spring to extend his runway.
Ray’s timeline for a return isn’t clear just yet and while next week’s series against the Los Angeles Angels might be a bit aggressive, the April 12-14 series against the Yankees in Dunedin, when the turns of Stripling and Zeuch come up for a third time, is a more realistic target.
Nate Pearson (groin) and, to a lesser degree, Thomas Hatch (elbow) are further on the horizon at the playing catch stage, but will eventually force more decisions.
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Stripling is a pitching staff Swiss Army knife. In 2018, he was an all-star with the Los Angeles Dodgers mostly working out of the rotation. But his ability to work out of the bullpen is a valuable skill-set as the big-league schedule goes from around-the-block drive to cross-country trek.
The Yankees worked the likeable righty hard, putting runners aboard in each of his 3.1 innings, but struggled to deliver a big blow. Gary Sanchez took Stripling deep to open the fourth, launching a slider that hung in the happy zone, but they only eked out a run against him in the second when Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s foot came off the bag as he stretched for Cavan Biggio’s throw on D.J. LeMahieu’s infield single.
Aaron Hicks’ infield single off Tyler Chatwood – knocked down by a diving Marcus Semien who probably wouldn’t have had a play even if he fielded the ball cleanly – brought home the third against Stripling, who gave up seven hits and two walks.
After Semien’s solo shot leading off the fifth cut the Yankees’ lead to 3-2, the Blue Jays kept living dangerously and paid for it in the sixth. Jay Bruce dunked a blooper just in front of Lourdes Gurriel Jr., in shallow left-centre field off Tim Mayza to open up a 5-2 Yankees lead.
Randal Grichuk reached on a bloop single, advanced to second and third on two wild pitches and then scored on Semien’s RBI groundout to pull the Blue Jays within a pair in the seventh. But they squandered leadoff singles by Bo Bichette and Teoscar Hernandez in the eighth and Chad Green, with Aroldis Chapman finishing up a suspension, closed it out.
Grichuk’s pathway to at-bats will become muddied once Springer returns, but he delivered another solid performance and is letting his play make the case for him. The heat is also on Rowdy Tellez, who had a three-strikeout afternoon, stranding a pair and failing to cash in a runner at third with less than two out with a shallow flyout.
“You can either sulk or use it as motivation and play with a chip on your shoulder,” Grichuk said of his limbo. “Obviously still not knowing what my role is going to be this year, just know when I get an opportunity to go out there, play hard and leave it all on the field and force them to keep me in the lineup.”
With the Blue Jays beginning a stretch of games in 16 straight days, Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo will make a point of getting his regulars the occasional rest, be it a day at DH or a full day off. Keeping everyone on board will be part of the challenge.
“It’s all about communicating,” said Montoyo. “The days when they might be off, because right now we’re going to play 16 in a row, some guys are going to be off, and that’s fine. The good thing about our lineup this year, like when I take somebody off, the other guy that goes in, the lineup is still good. That’s a good feeling for a manager.”
