Season over for Jays' phenom

TORONTO — Brett Lawrie’s dream start to his major league career has come to an abrupt end.

During warmups for Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Toronto Blue Jays rookie third basemen injured his right middle finger while fielding a ground ball.

He was pulled from the starting lineup and initially listed as day-to-day, but when X-rays revealed the finger was broken the Jays placed him on the disabled list, shutting him down for 2011.

In 43 games with Toronto since being promoted from triple-A Las Vegas, Lawrie has hit .293/.373/.580 with nine home runs and 25 RBIs. The 21-year-old native of Langley, B.C. also missed significant time earlier this summer with a right hand fracture after being hit by a pitch during a game in Vegas.

Toronto acquired Lawrie acquired in a December 2010 trade with the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for starter Shaun Marcum.

CARRENO IMPRESSING IN THE BULLPEN

Joel Carreno put up some impressive minor league numbers as a starter, and he continues to draw praise for his work out of the Blue Jays bullpen, but John Farrell isn’t ready to name him a candidate for the team’s 2012 rotation.

Lost in Tuesday’s ugly stat lines from Brett Cecil and Kyle Drabek in Toronto’s 10-6 loss to the Los Angles Angels of Anaheim was another fine outing from the 24-year-old Carreno.

The Domican Republic native tossed two scoreless innings and struck out three Angels to lower his ERA to 1.32 in nine big-league appearances. Prior to Wednesday’s game against the Angels, Farrell said he’s been impressed with far more than just the rookie’s stats.

“Not just with the numbers he’s got, but the poise, his confidence, his looseness on the mound,” he explained. “He`s done an excellent job for the time that he`s been here.”

What got Carreno here was his stellar work as a starter at double-A New Hampshire.

In 23 starts with the Eastern League champion Fisher Cats, Carreno posted a 3.41 ERA in 134.2 innings while striking out 152.

And although the Blue Jays 2012 rotation currently projects as Ricky Romero and four question marks, Farrell wasn’t ready to anoint Carreno as a candidate for a starting role next spring.

“He’s excelled in the role that he’s in,” Farrell diplomatically answered. “I know it’s a short look, it’s a smaller sample size, however you want to describe it. But there is a very successful path where pitchers have transitioned to the big-leagues in the bullpen and then moved into the rotation going forward.

“I don’t want to ever limit the potential of him going back into that role, but I think just for the time being, we’ll look not to disrupt anything that’s been positive for him at the

moment.”

EXPECT TO SEE MORE DRABEK

When the Blue Jays recalled Kyle Drabek from triple-A Las Vegas earlier this month, the goal was to get the 23-year-old some additional big-league innings under his belt and hopefully end the year on a positive note.

So after surrendering five runs in the fourth inning Tuesday and six total over his two innings of work, Farrell said you can bank on seeing the Texan again before the season ends — potentially in a start.

“It’s a possibility, but leaving on a positive goal is what out goal was in September,” said Farrell. “His first inning last night was not a good one for him, but we also don’t just look past the first two appearances where he threw the ball very well.”

Drabek pitched a perfect inning of relief against Baltimore on Sept. 9 and two scoreless innings against New York on Sept. 17, including three strikeouts.

“He’s going to get more opportunities,” said Farrell. He’s going to go back out there. “On this upcoming trip, he’ll be back on the mound.” After wrapping up their four-game series at home against Los Angeles on Thursday, the Jays travel to Tamp Bay for a three-game weekend series against the Rays before travelling to Chicago where they’ll play their final three games of the season beginning Monday.