WHO YA GONNA CALL (UP) . . .
BALTIMORE— The day before Major League Baseball’s active rosters expand from 25 players to as many as 40, the Blue Jays faced their longest playoff odds of the season.
According to the Fangraphs website, the Jays had just a 0.1 per cent chance of reaching the post-season before Thursday night’s 11-8 win over the Orioles at Camden Yards. As the schedule hits September with just 28 games remaining, Blue Jays believers are down to their last sip of Kool-Aid.
And so the focus truly shifts to 2018 — a process the Blue Jays front-office made public about a week before July’s trade deadline, while still holding out some hope of a playoff run with the wild-card race so tight.
The daily grind now becomes less about wins and losses, and more about what some newcomers have to offer.
“Most of them are trying to make it, so they’re looking for every opportunity,” manager John Gibbons said. “If it’s the first go-round, they’re really excited. It’s like, ‘Here’s my chance.’ It’s not going to make or break any of them, usually . . . but it’s a great experience and they can go into off-season knowing, ‘Hey, I got there.’ ”
Some call-ups will arrive Friday, while others will make the jump after minorleague seasons wrap up on Sunday. There will be some familiar names: Catcher Luke Maile, who injured his right knee in July, will return from a rehab assignment with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. Pitchers Chris Rowley and Nick Tepesch have started for the Jays this season and might again. Anthony Alford and Dwight Smith Jr. will likely get another look in the outfield. As for the other prime candidates, here are a few names to watch for:
TEOSCAR HERNANDEZ, OF
The Blue Jays’ No. 5 prospect, according to the MLB Pipeline site, arrived from Houston at the deadline in the Francisco Liriano trade. Hernandez is batting just .221 but with six homers, 22 RBIs and a .516 slugging mark in 95 at-bats with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. The 24-year-old, a potential replacement for Jose Bautista in right field next year, has 112 big-league plate appearances under his belt and has been heating up with three homers and nine RBIs in the past week.
MICHAEL SAUNDERS, OF
After representing the Blue Jays at last year’s all-star game, everything changed for Saunders. He hit just .179 in the second half and signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as a free agent in the off-season.
He struggled right off the bat in Philly and had been designated for assignment by June. The Blue Jays decided to give him another shot and his struggles continued with the Triple-A Bisons — with his batting average bottoming out at .056 — before things started to fall into place at the plate. A torrid stretch had Saunders’ average up to .275 through Wednesday.
RYAN BORUCKI, LHP
Borucki earned his second promotion of the season to the Bisons this week and made his first start for the Herd on Thursday night, tossing six shutout innings. The lefty, Toronto’s No. 14 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, has a combined 3.06 ERA this year: 3.58 in 98 innings with the Class-A Dunedin Blue Jays, 1.94 through 461⁄ frames with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
DANNY JANSEN, C
The 22-year-old catcher recently made news by flirting with a cycle, going 4-for-4 with two home runs, a triple and a single. He has also helped out defensively, including a dazzling diving grab in Wednesday night’s 7-5 loss to Pawtucket — a catch worthy of comparisons to Jays centre fielder Kevin Pillar. While Maile should return, the Jays will be without injured Russell Martin for another two weeks or so and might want more help behind the plate.
CARLOS RAMIREZ, RHP
The most impressive number next to the 26-year-old right-hander’s name is zero. As in no earned runs allowed through 372⁄ innings combined with the Bisons and Fisher Cats this season. The Blue Jays’ overworked bullpen needs reinforcements. Ramirez could help share the load down the stretch.