Anderson returns as roster nears full health

August 9th, 2020

With right-hander Chase Anderson being activated from the 10-day injured list prior to his 2020 debut on Saturday in Boston, the Blue Jays are getting close to having their fullest and healthiest roster in 2020. Anderson allowed one run over three innings on 45 pitches in Toronto's 2-1 win.

Outfielder was optioned in a corresponding move and will join the taxi squad, leaving as the lone reserve outfielder on the active roster.

The Blue Jays have closer , starter and outfielder on the IL, and the early weeks of the season have been a constant game of adjustments on the fly, particularly in the lineup where several players battled minor ailments and was away from the club for a period to attend to a family matter.

The Blue Jays need some length soon, as their bullpen has carried a heavy load, but manager Charlie Montoyo’s level of concern isn’t too high just yet.

“The way our bullpen’s throwing, it’s fine right now,” Montoyo said. “It’s not a big deal for me right now, because when they go five innings, the next ones coming are throwing 95 mph. Whether it’s Kay or Borucki or Hatch, as long as you have a bullpen like we do right now, it’s not a big deal."

While the rotation and bullpen will ebb and flow through the season, the Blue Jays have what appears to be their full positional roster together, which could allow Montoyo to create more regularity in his lineup. Friday’s experiment was in the No. 8 spot, while Saturday’s new wrinkle was being bumped down to No. 6 with Shaw at No. 3. One change that seems more permanent is flipping with to act as the new leadoff man, a natural role for his skill set.

Latest on Giles
Giles is still approaching the point where he’ll be reevaluated as he works back from a right forearm strain, but Montoyo offered a more specific update Saturday.

“He hasn’t played catch yet, but he’s running and doing arm exercises,” Montoyo said. “We’ll see. I talked to him today, and he said he’s feeling a lot better than he thought he was going to feel by this time.”

The long road to Buffalo
The Blue Jays plan to hold an optional workout at Sahlen Field in Buffalo on their Monday off-day, which some players will likely use to check out their new “home” stadium and the additions that have been made.

The “underground” portion of the stadium -- beneath the bleachers where you’d find the clubhouses -- has been used for an expanded locker space, and the Blue Jays have made more use of the outdoor areas surrounding the ballpark by making the concourses available and setting up tented areas. Sahlen Field will have a one-of-a-kind look when the Blue Jays face the Marlins on Tuesday.

Challenger Baseball Jamboree goes virtual
The annual Challenger Baseball Jamboree, put on by Jays Care, typically takes place at Rogers Centre, but it went virtual for this year's edition on Saturday, with more than 500 families from across Canada joining online for a day of programming.

Challenger Baseball works to make the game accessible to children and youth with physical or cognitive disabilities, putting an emphasis on physical health, building life skills and growing communities. You can read more about Challenger Baseball and their leagues across Canada here.