The Blue Jays recorded a lopsided 17-1 win over the Indians today, the most runs Toronto has scored in a game since August 2010. The Jays’ offense got off to a surprisingly slow start over the first two months of the season but has returned to form in recent weeks. Toronto entered today eighth among all MLB teams with a team OPS of .760, a number that is sure to rise after the 17-run outburst. Here’s some more from north of the border…
- Marco Estrada seems likely to miss his next scheduled start on Thursday, as the righty is dealing with some severe back pain. Estrada told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and other reporters that he may not have pitched last Saturday had the Jays not been in desperate need of an innings-eater after Friday’s 19-inning marathon. Estrada made it through five innings in his last outing, even wearing a back brace between the first and second inning. A cortisone shot fixed a similar problem for Estrada during the spring and he’s hopeful another shot can help him now, though he underwent an MRI today to check for any damage. Estrada missed the season’s first week due to that bad back, though he has been excellent since his return — a 2.93 ERA, 8.5 K/9, 2.54 K/BB rate over 104 1/3 innings. As Davidi notes, Drew Hutchison is the likeliest candidate to make a spot start if Estrada can’t go on Thursday against Detroit.
- Team president and CEO Mark Shapiro spoke to Cleveland reporters (including MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian) about a variety of topics, including his transition from the Indians to the Blue Jays, the Jose Bautista contract situation in the spring, the differences between the Cleveland and Toronto markets and more.
- GM Ross Atkins and manager John Gibbons both said that southpaw Franklin Morales is still a ways off from being called back up to the majors, John Lott writes for Blue Jays Nation. Morales has until July 22 to earn a callup, as per the rule that limits pitches to a 30-day minor league injury rehab. Despite already being guaranteed $2MM due to his time on the MLB roster (via his lengthy DL stint), the Jays don’t seem to be in any rush to promote Morales, with Atkins citing multiple left-handed options in front of him on the organizational depth chart.
