The wait is over for Brett Lawrie. The Toronto Blue Jays infielder returns to the lineup as the third baseman for Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago White Sox.
Lawrie played second base at the minor league level while rehabbing from his rib cage injury, but he’ll make his 2013 debut at the hot corner. Jose Bautista, who missed Monday’s game with back spasms, will miss another game as leadoff hitter Emilio Bonifacio gets the start in right field.
While the Blue Jays considered using Bautista at third and Lawrie at second during Jose Reyes’ absence, they opted for a more traditional arrangement Tuesday. Munenori Kawasaki gets the start at shortstop in place of Reyes, who’s on the disabled list after spraining his ankle Friday against the Kansas City Royals.
On the mound, Josh Johnson opposes Dylan Axelrod, as both right-handers look to rebound from disappointing starts. Johnson left his most recent start after allowing six earned runs in 1.1 innings against the Tigers. He pitched more effectively in his Blue Jays debut, allowing three earned runs in six innings.
Axelrod has started the year much like Johnson. The 27-year-old had a strong debut performance then allowed six earned runs in his second outing of the season. None of the Blue Jays have more than five at bats against Axelrod, who debuted with Chicago in 2011.
The White Sox rank 14th among American League teams with just 45 runs scored. Their offensive struggles stem from their inability to reach base. With just a .279 on-base percentage, they have fewer walks (18) than Joey Votto (21). Here’s their lineup, via Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune:
The Blue won the series opener on Monday, improving to 6-7 on the season.