TORONTO – Mike Bolsinger wasn’t fooling anybody in his second start as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, but he’ll still get the chance to atone for Monday’s loss to the Atlanta Braves.
The right-hander allowed six runs, five of which were earned, while completing just 4.2 innings in an outing he’d later describe as ‘unacceptable.’
At the same time, the Blue Jays are down two starters, so they still need arms. Francisco Liriano isn’t eligible to return from the disabled list until Sunday, and the Blue Jays need a starter on Saturday, which means Bolsinger will get another look. After that, he could lose his rotation spot, especially if Liriano’s progress continues.
“He’s feeling a lot better,” manager John Gibbons said of Liriano. “He played some catch [Monday]. He’ll get on the mound, probably, in the next couple of days.”
Bolsinger allowed just two earned runs in 5.2 innings when he made his season debut May 9 against the Cleveland Indians. If he could repeat that performance against the Baltimore Orioles Saturday, the Blue Jays would surely be pleased.
Regardless of how Bolsinger fares, the Blue Jays might skip a starter next week, when they have days off on either side of a two-day visit to Milwaukee. Gibbons has considered shuffling his rotation, but can afford to wait a few days before finalizing those decisions.
While Bolsinger will get the chance to rebound from Monday’s outing, Leonel Campos lost his roster spot after a rough relief appearance against Atlanta. The Blue Jays recalled outfielder Darrell Ceciliani to replace Campos on the roster, giving them a three-man bench and an eight-man bullpen.
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PROGRESS FOR MARTIN
Russell Martin’s left shoulder has progressed to the point that he can comfortably take part in baseball activities again.
Martin, who’s on the disabled list with nerve irritation in his catching shoulder, played catch with Marcus Stroman on the field at Rogers Centre Tuesday before taking batting practice. Those activities are routine for most players, but encouraging for Martin, who rested for five days last week after getting a cortisone shot May 8.
“We’re just waiting for the strength to come back,” Gibbons said. “[The injury] wiped out most of the strength in that thing. But little by little it’s coming back.”
Martin’s eligible to return from the 10-day disabled list when the Blue Jays wrap up their series against the Braves Thursday, but his priority’s returning at full strength.
“You don’t want anything lingering in the back of your mind when you go out there,” he said. “I’m going to make sure I feel like I’m going to be ready to go for the long haul. I don’t want to come back to just go back on the DL at some point. I don’t think that’s fair to myself or the team.”
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INJURY NOTES
• Troy Tulowitzki (hamstring) will likely return to the Blue Jays’ roster Thursday after going hitless in two at bats and drawing a walk as the designated hitter for the Dunedin Blue Jays Tuesday.
• Steve Pearce will go to the Blue Jays’ Dunedin, Fla., facility to rehabilitate the calf strain that sent him to the disabled list Monday.
• Two months after sustaining a concussion in the World Baseball Classic and landing on the 60-day disabled list, Dalton Pompey appears to be making progress.
