Jays angst centres on pitching

DUNEDIN, FLA. — With 12 days left in spring training, the Toronto Blue Jays’ closer has not pitched in an exhibition game.

The man who was their No. 2 starter a year ago now appears to have morphed into their No. 5 starter for reasons that remain nebulous.

The man who was their No. 1 starter two years ago and a minor-leaguer last year has suddenly insinuated himself into the topsy-turvy banter about a rotation job.

Their offence, projected as a key asset, has averaged 3.6 runs through 17 spring games.

In a month or so, perhaps all of the foregoing will be forgotten, graded as pre-season detritus with zero or trifling impact on the Blue Jays’ longterm fortunes.

But it is fair to observe that the Jays and their management would much prefer a little more clarity, particularly in their pitching picture, as they lurch toward their season-opener on March 31 against the Rays in St. Petersburg. They will likely face some tough decisions in the next 12 days.

Closer Casey Janssen does not believe he will be one of them. He insists the shoulder problem that has stalled his progress this spring is different and far less worrisome than his fresh-from-surgery issues of a year ago.

This time, the problem lay in the muscles that decelerate his arm in the split-second after he releases the ball. He is feeling well now, he says. He threw a bullpen session Saturday and is scheduled to pitch live batting practice Tuesday, leaving him time to appear in two or three spring games before the bell rings.

Janssen, 32, laboured through last season, his shoulder biting in the aftermath of off-season surgery — not that an outsider would have noticed: 56 appearances, 2.56 ERA, 34 saves.

He claims to be unworried about his plodding pace this spring. He will have time and he will be ready, he says.

Mea nwh i le, Bra ndon Morrow and Ricky Romero face a critical day on Tuesday. Morrow is aiming for 65 pitches and compliant fastball command during a minor-league start in Tampa against the Yankees’ TripleA team. Romero is set to start against the Tigers in Lakeland, marking the first time this spring he has faced a fully formed lineup of bigleague hitters.

A good start for No. 5 starter Morrow, who missed much of last season with a nerve injury to his forearm, would help to bolster fans’ confidence that he is truly healthy.

Romero still lurks on the fringes of the rotation picture but turned management heads in his last two outings.