ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Michael Saunders is set to make his debut with the Toronto Blue Jays after he was activated from the disabled list following Friday night’s 12-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
The left-fielder, acquired from the Seattle Mariners during the off-season for J.A. Happ, went 1-for-4 with a two-run double in his final rehab game for single-A Dunedin on Friday.
He tore the meniscus in his left knee after stepping on a soft spot at a spring training practice field in February and has been recovering from the surgery ever since.
Utilityman Steve Tolleson was designated for assignment after the game to clear a roster spot for him, losing out on a spot to Ryan Goins.
“It was a tough day in general, one I’d really like to forget about,” said Tolleson. “This game has a lot of ups and downs, it’s bounced my way a lot of times. I’m very thankful for my time here in Toronto, I expressed that to Alex [Anthopoulos] and Gibby [John Gibbons]. They’re the first team to give me an opportunity to show what I can do, I’m forever thankful for that. It’s disappointing, there are a lot of good things going on in this clubhouse, take today aside, and there are a lot of things to be excited about. In many ways I hope I find my way back here, but the ultimate goal is to be in the big leagues and it’s looking like it’s not going to be with this team right now. Hopefully it will be with someone else.”
Saunders’ return gives the Blue Jays three regular outfielders again while Jose Bautista rests his sore right shoulder. Gibbons said earlier Friday that the Blue Jays “can probably eliminate” the possibility of a DL stint for the all-star right-fielder, but it will be a few games yet before he can do more than just DH, so keeping all their outfielders right now makes sense.
It also pushes back the need to figure out how to get Dalton Pompey and Kevin Pillar sufficient playing time.
“It’s inevitable,” Gibbons said of the playing time crunch. “I’m sure by the beginning or middle of next week [Bautista] will be back out in the outfield, that’s my guess today, I don’t know that for sure, but that’s my gut feeling. Then we’ll have to make our decision on what we’re going to do.”
Possibilities include having Pillar and Pompey share time in centre, with the other used to spell Saunders in certain matchups, something which might make sense given his recovery from knee surgery anyway.