‘Beat up’ Donaldson gets night off
Toronto third baseman expected back in the lineup while Sanchez will miss another start
TORONTO — Hitless in his last 23 at-bats, Josh Donaldson was on the bench to start Monday’s series opener against Tampa Bay.
It wasn’t just a rest day for the reigning AL MVP, though, as Blue Jays manager John Gibbons claims his struggling third baseman is dealing with a few issues.
“He’s beat up,” said Gibbons, who refused to elaborate on what, exactly, is bothering Donaldson. “His body’s banged up. I figured, give him a day. Let him regroup, rest up. He’s hurting.”
Donaldson is expected to return to the starting lineup Tuesday.
Sanchez in Seattle
After being hit around by the Boston Red Sox on Sunday and then dealing with a blister on the middle finger of his throwing hand, the Jays will skip Aaron Sanchez, their young starter with ace-like numbers, the next turn through the rotation.
In an effort to limit the 24-yearold’s innings, that may have happened anyway, but the blister issue makes it even more important Sanchez gets some extra time to recover.
The current plan is for Sanchez to return to the mound Sept. 21 at Safeco Field against the Seattle Mariners, which would set him up to pitch two important division games down the stretch, including the final series in Boston against the Red Sox.
“He just had a blister,” Gibbons said Monday.
“It’s one of those things, you’ve just got to give it a little time. He won’t pitch the next turn and then, I think, the target date’s that last game in Seattle.”
R.A. Dickey, who has been skipped twice already and hasn’t started since being beat up by the New York Yankees over a week ago, is slated to take the ball against the Los Angeles Angels.
“He’ll go either one of those days, Friday or Saturday,” Gibbons said.
If needed, Dickey is also available out of the bullpen during the series against the Rays.
Loup regroup?
Since being recalled from the minors last week, Blue Jays reliever Aaron Loup has impressed his manager.
In addition to calmly stepping off the rubber to cut down Red Sox runner Brock Holt on attempted steal of home Sunday, Loup was called upon a couple of times in the series to get lefty Jackie Bradley Jr. out, a mission he accomplished both times.
“He looked good this weekend, that’s for sure,” said Gibbons. “Since he’s been back, really.”
Prospect All-Stars
Noted prospect publication Baseball America released its 2016 minor league classification all-star teams Monday, and a pair of players in the Blue Jays’ system made the cut.
Thanks to a .297 average and 23 home runs with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, first baseman Rowdy Tellez was named to the Double-A squad as the DH.
At the rookie ball level, prized 17-year-old Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s first professional season earned him the nod as the third baseman on the annual Baseball America list.
Guerrero Jr. hit .271 with eight home runs and 15 stolen bases in the Appalachian League.