Jays add depth at catcher

The Blue Jays claimed catcher Beau Taylor off waivers from Oakland on Friday, immediately sending him to Triple-A Buffalo.

Taylor, 29, batted .182 with two home runs in 22 at-bats for Oakland this season, but spent most of his time with Triple-A Las Vegas, where he hit .257 with eight home runs and 32 RBI in 62 games.

“Protection in case something happens to one of the guys,” manager Charlie Montoyo said when asked about the move before Friday’s game.

Montoyo suggested he will continue to rotate the aforementioned guys, Danny Jansen and Reese McGuire, who he has both been impressed by and said Luke Maile is not close to a return.

Montoyo has particularly liked how McGuire operates behind the plate receiving pitches. “The umpires (speak highly) about him,” Montoyo said.

MIXED RESULTS

FOR EX-JAYS

The two former top of the rotation Toronto starters dealt in recent weeks had mixed results in recent starts. Aaron Sanchez, pretty much brilliant over his first two turns on the mound for Houston, got lit up in a 7-6 loss to Oakland on Thursday, surrendering four home runs in 5.1 innings. Sanchez gave up seven hits and six home runs in all in a no-decision.

Meanwhile Marcus Stroman, who had been getting clubbed in two starts with the New York Mets (16 hits, seven earned runs in 10.1 innings), gave up two home runs in 5.1 innings on Thursday, but picked up his first win in the National League (New York has won all three of his starts despite his struggles).

Stroman has walked nine in his three starts after only walking three in his final three appearances as a Blue Jay.

AROUND THE BASES

Toronto’s young pitching prospects are starting to do some interesting things in the minors. No. 11 prospect Adam Kloffenstein, who turns 19 in a couple of weeks, gave up two hits, struck out eight and walked one in 5.1 innings in a win for Single-A Vancouver on Thursday. He has not allowed a homer in seven straight starts. Alek Manoah, the Jays 2019 first round pick, struck out seven in three innings for Vancouver two starts ago and Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods Richardson, who came over for Stroman, pitched six and five one-hit innings, respectively, on Sunday and Monday (Kay for Buffalo, Woods Richardson for Florida) … Trent Thornton will start for Toronto on Saturday and an opener will go on Sunday ahead of Thomas Pannone.

rwolstat@postmedia.com