OAKLAND, Calif. – Jeff Samardzija really shoved it down the throats of the Toronto Blue Jays in his debut outing for the Oakland Athletics. Then again, given the way things have gone of late who’s to say Brad Mills, originally slated to pitch against them Sunday afternoon, wouldn’t have done the same thing?
Sure, the schedule is doing the Blue Jays no favours right now, and, cruelly, things aren’t getting any easier for them after Sunday’s 4-2 loss capped off a deeply concerning four-game sweep at the Oakland Coliseum.
Road series against the surging Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay Rays remain before the all-star break begins, and the probable starters on tap are as follows: Jered Weaver; Tyler Skaggs; C.J. Wilson; Chris Archer; David Price; and Jake Odorizzi.
Uh-oh is an understatement.
So forget first place, barring a sudden ignition of their limp, Edwin-Encarnacion-less offence, the 47-43 Blue Jays, now two games back of the AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles, may not even be at .500 by the end of next weekend.
The time for urgency is now.
“We’re just not very good right now,” manager John Gibbons said of his hitters. “We’ve got a couple of guys injured but not everybody, our regulars are cold right now. I don’t necessarily see something different in the approach, we’re just not producing.”
A roster recalibration started Sunday morning when Nolan Reimold was claimed off waivers from the Orioles, and the talented but oft-injured outfielder will be given a chance to play regularly, especially given Encarnacion’s absence.
Encarnacion suffered a Grade 2 strain in his right quadriceps on Saturday, will need at least two weeks to recover, and is expected to be placed on the disabled list. Outfielder Cole Gillespie, claimed off waivers from the Seattle Mariners on Saturday, made his debut in the Blue Jays’ 13th loss in 19 outings, going 0-for-3 and misplaying a Stephen Vogt rocket in the seventh that went for a triple.
Jose Bautista played first base Sunday, his first defensive action since injuring his hamstring on June 22, and after being tested by a stray Jose Reyes throw and some foul balls, came away confident he’s ready for a return to right field.
At the same time, he noted that “if it’s better suited for me to be at third or first for the time being given all the injuries and stuff that’s going on, even if I’m able to go to right field, I’ll take it wherever I can. I just want to make sure I do whatever I can to put the team in the best position to win.”
Bautista took some balls at third over the weekend and when asked how much time he needed to get ready for the hot corner, said, “no time, just throw me in the fire. If that’s our best lineup, so be it.”
“If I make a mistake I’ll own up to it, turn the page and try to make the next play,” he said. “We’re in a situation where we can’t really afford to be picky or try to be too comfortable or be in the spot where you feel the best. We’ve got to strap it on and we’ve all got to do whatever it takes. If by playing third I’m doing that, that’s what I need to do.”
The Blue Jays may make some other roster moves, too, but at the moment they’re engaged in varying degrees of bottom-feeding, and a more substantial move may be needed.
Oakland’s bold strike for Samardzija and Jason Hammel delivered some instant returns when the 6-5 right-hander known as Shark held the Blue Jays to a single run – that on Melky Cabrera’s groundout in the sixth – over seven innings. He walked one and struck out five, including the side in his final frame.
The only other run the Blue Jays scored came on Steve Tolleson’s too-little, too-late pinch-hit homer leading off the ninth against closer Sean Doolittle.
The A’s blockbuster – for uber shortstop prospect Addison Russell, outfielder Billy McKinney and right-hander Dan Straily – immediately shifted the balance of power in the American League and may serve as a catalyst for other transactions.
The New York Yankees added to their rotation Sunday morning, picking up right-hander Brandon McCarthy from the Arizona Diamondbacks for left-hander Vidal Nuno. The Diamondbacks also kicked in about $2 million which is noteworthy in case the Blue Jays decide they want to take a run at infielder Martin Prado, who has his fans in the organization.
The versatile Venezuelan is due the remainder of his $11 million this season plus $11 million more in each of the next two years – so he’s a very big ticket – but he’s exactly the type of player the Blue Jays need right now. If the Diamondbacks are willing to kick in some money to get a player they want in return, that might make things easier.
The Blue Jays might also be saving up their capital – both in prospects and cash – for a bigger deal, and wouldn’t Price and Ben Zobrist from the Tampa Bay Rays be the ultimate impact transaction?
Then again, it’s reasonable to wonder if their addition would be enough to make a meaningful difference. The Blue Jays’ starting pitching was good against the Athletics but they managed just four runs in 39 innings, three coming on an out, one requiring a replay challenge.
They’re not going to be this cold forever, but will they be able to overcome Encarnacion’s absence? What about the other lineup flaws? Will they still be in reasonable shape in the standings by the time reinforcements arrive?
The Athletics gave the Blue Jays a look at how the upper third lives over the weekend. They’re not at that point, and it’s unclear if they’re healthy enough or deep enough as presently constructed to get there.