Jays dealing with health issues
SICK BAY: More than just baseball matters for closer Osuna and broadcaster Howarth
The health of ace reliever Roberto Osuna is of prime concern to Toronto Blue Jays management, given his recent struggles with anxiety issues.
Unfortunately, Osuna’s status is in all likelihood directly linked to the team’s potential for success.
The Jays were pleased with Osuna’s ability to strike out the side in Sunday’s win over Kansas City. There is also justifiable concern going forward. If Osuna isn’t available, the bullpen may well be void of candidates for the closer’s role.
The hope is Osuna builds off that performance and is available when the Jays host Baltimore on Tuesday. The 22-yearold has been on a stellar run, converting his last 18 save opportunities, a career-best streak.
Osuna has vowed he feels fine physically and he showed as much rather emphatically on Sunday. But as the young pitcher acknowledged, the rest is a work in progress.
Meanwhile, about 4 1/2 months after undergoing successful prostate cancer surgery, Jerry Howarth was back in the booth calling games at the start of the 2017 campaign. However, a virus in late April led to laryngitis and he was forced to miss 21 games.
Howarth has made a few minor changes to get back in top form since returning to his duties a few weeks ago. He has switched to decaffeinated coffee, is drinking more water than usual, and has been meeting with specialists at a voice clinic to see if nasal polyps are an issue.
“Overall I’m happy to be back and even at 80-85 per cent (to) call games,” Howarth said.
Last fall, a small tumour was discovered when Howarth, 71, a native of York, Pa., and longtime Toronto resident, learned he had elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test numbers. The tumour and his prostate gland were removed and doctors declared Howarth cancer-free after the procedure.