DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Blue Jays right hander Dennis Tepera started his first game of the spring Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers in Dunedin.
Left-hander Ryan Borucki was originally scheduled for the start, but manager John Gibbons made the switch based on who he wanted to throw to catcher Russell Martin.
"We wanted to juggle a little bit," Gibbons said. "Russ is catching and he's only going to go a couple of innings, and we have certain guys we want him to catch."
Tepera, who gave up three hits and no runs in one inning against the Pirates on Monday, tossed a perfect frame with one strikeout vs. the Tigers in the Blue Jays' 5-4 loss.
Worth noting
• Gibbons mentioned infielder Rowdy Tellez and pitchers Chris Smith, Casey Lawrence and Aaron Loup among the players who he feels could contribute to the team this season even if they don't make the Opening Day roster.
"There's a bunch of guys here, although they may not start with us, they could end up playing a valuable part," Gibbons said. "An injury here or there or somebody not doing their job and somebody else might get that opportunity."
• Infielder/outfielder Jake Elmore, a non-roster invitee, could find a role on the Blue Jays with his ability to play several different positions on the field.
Gibbons said that there is a lot of value in players like Elmore, who can sit for periods at a time and be ready to fill holes on defense or in the lineup on short notice.
"The more you're around, the longer you're around the game, the more valuable you realize those guys are," Gibbons said. "It's so difficult to come off the bench when you haven't been playing. You can put Jake anywhere and he can hit. He knows how to play that solid game. You have no worries about putting him anywhere."