jaysblue

I trust the Blue Jays front office and medical team more than you when it comes to whether Kirk could play or not.

I wonder why the Jays struggled to score runs 😂

Varland and Rogers are both likely unavailable. Might have to turn to Fisher or Miles if it's a save situation.

I need to add a Miz jersey to my collection!

Vladdy career .625 average against Schlitter on the bench (albeit small sample size). Kirk 3 for 3 yesterday and not DHing. I guess easing him in since he just returned and since the Jays likely don't want to use two catchers in the same game.

Has aged like fine wine. One of my favourite hitters!

Scherzer is likely only in line for a handful of starts until Bieber returns. I doubt the Jays are planning to rely on him for the rest of the summer unless more injuries pop up. I’d be interested to see them try Max out of the bullpen. Maybe, in shorter 1–2 inning bursts where he can empty the tank, he could still be an effective weapon in relief. As for Springer, I don’t think they can simply hand him the DH spot anymore. I’d like to see him get some part-time work in the outfield while moving down in the lineup.

I think Brandon Valenzuela has quickly become one of my new favourite Jays. He’s stepped up in a big way with Kirk out and really looks like he could be a key piece of this team long term. Falling behind 0-2 against Duran and then taking the ball the other way for a walk-off single? That’s just awesome! He’s becoming one of the most likeable Jays right now - right up there with Ernie Clement. It’s been really fun to watch Valenzuela emerge this season, and I hope he keeps it going. Honestly, I might need to get a Valenzuela jersey haha.

Nah, especially with the summer months kicking into full swing. A bunch of casual fans already bought up tickets and flex packs, lol. Plus, Torontonians need something to do in the summer, and a Jays game is an easy day or night out - rooftop patios, $20 beers, the whole thing. Maybe in September if the Jays completely fall out of it. But right now, with how weak the AL has been, they’re still only 1.0 game back of the final Wild Card spot and 8.0 games back of the Rays, who have started to struggle a bit themselves. Even with all the Jays’ issues, the season isn’t over by any stretch.

Hopefully he can Hatch on somewhere else soon.

The Dodgers recalled Nick Frasso from Triple-A Oklahoma on Saturday 😂

I did actually. Weird stuff like this happens all the time in baseball, more this season especially than before. As well, 82% of the money wagered and 85% of tickets were backing Atlanta yesterday in Vegas and sports books. A bit fishy, not going to lie. That said, a Jays win is a Jays win, and I'll gladly take it.

I volunteer 🤚

AA has had his fair share of questionable trades and signings too, both in Toronto and Atlanta. Sean Murphy looks like he might be washed now, and trading William Contreras in that deal is looking like a huge mistake. Signing Kim to a one-year, $20M contract has been awful. Mike Yastrzemski signed a two-year, $23M deal with Atlanta this past offseason, and while he’s been alright, that’s still a lot of money for a platoon/4th outfielder. The Profar suspension obviously hurt too, but there’s not much you can really do about that. For the most part, the Braves’ bats have been healthy and productive this season. Olson, Baldwin (before landing on the IL), Albies, and Harris have all been great. Even Dubon has provided value. Acuna is back now after missing some time, though Austin Riley has still been disappointing so far. As for the pitching, Atlanta’s rotation was pretty much depleted, arguably even worse than Toronto’s, but they’ve managed to hold up. Sale has been elite, Strider is healthy again, and guys like Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder have stepped up. The back end of the bullpen has also been lights out with Lee, Suarez, and Iglesias.

The Jays actually look pretty solid when it comes to their corner outfield options. They’ve all been effective in different ways, especially Sanchez, who has shown some pop against RHP, and Pinango stepping up after being called up from the minors. I’ll admit, I was one of Nathan Lukes’ biggest critics, but he’s taken his game to another level since coming back from the IL. He’s proved me wrong. Whether that lasts long term is another story, but right now, his bat absolutely deserves to be in the lineup every day against RHP. I still prefer Sanchez long term, but it’s nice to have both options at the moment, especially with Barger out. Once Barger comes back, though, the issue becomes having too many left-handed bats. The Jays could really use a right-handed platoon bat to pair with one of Sanchez or Lukes. They’re definitely missing Springer’s bat at the top of the lineup, but he may need to sit more often in favour of Lukes or Sanchez starting. And they badly need Vladdy to start hitting like Postseason/WBC Vladdy again. The man needs an 8–10 HR month, haha.