On what would have been the great Roy Halladay’s 44th birthday, the Jays Care Foundation and the City of Toronto announced that Toronto’s first accessible baseball diamond will be named Roy Halladay Field.
Over 12 seasons in Toronto, the late Halladay was very involved with the community, particularly with children. His “Doc’s Box” initiative hosted children and families from SickKids (The Hospital for Sick Children) to experience Blue Jays games.
“I am very excited for the completion of this amazing, inclusive baseball field. Roy and I had the privilege of meeting countless inspirational kids and their families through SickKids and our program, Doc’s Box,” said Brandy Halladay in a statement. “We often talked about how incredible it would be to have a baseball field where every child could easily be a part of the game that we all love. Roy would be so proud to have his name associated with this project, but he would be even happier to see the faces of the kids and families who will benefit from it. I applaud the people who saw the need and did the work to bring this field of dreams to fruition.”
The field, which will be located at Highview Park, will be a safe space for athletes of all abilities to learn and develop important life skills through the game of baseball. It will be used by athletes in Jays Care’s Challenger Baseball Program.
“The contributions Roy Halladay made to the game of baseball go far beyond the walls of Rogers Centre, so it is fitting to have his legacy extend to a diamond that will positively impact so many Canadians,” said Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro. “Baseball should be a game that everyone can enjoy and be proud of, and Roy and Brandy made incredible contributions to that effort during their time in Toronto. The Blue Jays are thrilled that Roy Halladay Field will provide an opportunity for thousands of young people to play the game.”
Construction of Roy Halladay Field began in 2019 and is expected to be completed this summer.
Borucki to the IL
Left-hander Ryan Borucki has not pitched since May 7 in Houston, and was unavailable recently with manager Charlie Montoyo saying he was experiencing some fatigue. On Friday, the Blue Jays placed Borucki on the 10-day IL with a left forearm flexor strain, retroactive to May 11. A corresponding move will be made prior to Saturday's game.
Borucki was one of the few Blue Jays relievers who hadn't hit the IL this season, and while the depth group has done an admirable job keeping this team afloat at times, it can only take so many blows. Through 13 1/3 innings in 2021, Borucki owns a 4.05 ERA with 14 strikeouts.
Phelps’ lat strain “significant”
Montoyo described reliever David Phelps’ lat strain as “significant” on Friday, and while the Blue Jays don’t have a timeline just yet, that’s another dose of bad news for this bullpen.
Phelps was off to an incredible start for the Blue Jays, posting a 0.87 ERA over his first 10 1/3 innings with 15 strikeouts. He was also becoming a fixture in high-leverage situations. This appears to be an injury that will keep Phelps out for weeks, not just days.
Blue Jays add bullpen depth in Triple-A
The Blue Jays signed right-hander Carl Edwards Jr. to a Minor League deal, the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons announced Friday. The 29-year-old recently elected free agency after being designated for assignment by the Braves. Edwards hasn’t pitched effectively at the Major League level since 2018, but had a strong run of four seasons with the Cubs to open his career (2015-2018) where he posted a 3.06 ERA over 159 innings.