Donaldson, Tulowitzki on mend
HOUSTON— Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki were both out of the lineup for Monday’s series opener against the Houston Astros, but the Blue Jays don’t expect either to require a stint on the disabled list for their respective ailments.
Tulowitzki was hit by a pitch on his right thumb in Sunday’s game and while he was still able to throw, he couldn’t comfortably grip a bat. “Shouldn’t be more than a couple days, we hope,” manager John Gibbons said Monday.
Donaldson, meanwhile, tweaked his hamstring when legging out an infield single in Saturday’s 9-1 win over Baltimore. He was the designated hitter on Sunday and was in the Jays’ first posted lineup on Monday before he was scratched.
“Can’t risk it turning into anything long term,” Gibbons said. “That would be a disaster.”
UPS AND DOWNS: Unlike Tulowitzki and Donaldson, Ezequiel Carrera is headed to the 15-day DL. The Jays’ utility outfielder has been dealing with a strained left Achilles. As a result of Carrera’s DL stint, infielder Ryan Goins was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo. Goins, who suffered a forearm strain on Canada Day when he was called upon to pitch in a 19inning marathon, took Tulowitzki’s spot in the lineup as the starting shortstop. The 28-year-old Texan, who has served a primarily backup role this season, was hitting just .176 with a dismal .524 on-base-plusslugging (OPS) percentage at the time he landed on the DL.
BYE, BYE MORALES: In other roster housekeeping, the Jays designated left-handed reliever Franklin Morales for assignment on Monday and recalled hard-throwing righty Bo Schultz from Triple-A Buffalo. Morales, who was signed to a conditional $2-million deal on the eve of the season before promptly landing on the disabled list with shoulder fatigue (during which time his deal became guaranteed), looked terrible in his few appearances for the Jays, including his final one on Sunday, when he allowed Baltimore’s gamewinning run in the 12th inning. The 30-year-old’s velocity was down a full five miles per hour across the board, raising the question of what exactly the Jays saw in him when they signed him.
FISTER LABOURS ON: Houston righty Doug Fister was questionable to make his scheduled start in Monday’s series opener because his wife is expecting their first child any day now. Former Jays draft pick Joe Musgrove, who was dealt to Houston back in 2012 as part of a 12-player deal in which the Jays acquired J.A. Happ, was called up from the Astros’ farm team in case he needed to make an emergency spot start. By first pitch, however, Fister’s wife had not gone into labour and he was able to make his start as planned.