TORONTO -- Manager John Gibbons made his return to the Blue Jays on Friday night following a five-game absence to take care of what the club described as "personal business."
Gibbons did not elaborate on the specifics of what kept him away, other than to say he "had some things to take care of." Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins previously said the club knew it was "serious" and wanted to respect his privacy by not publicly disclosing any details.
The 55-year-old skipper seemed to be in good spirits upon his return and joked with reporters that he was watching in bed when Toronto played to a 19-inning loss against the Red Sox in a game on Wednesday night that took six hours to play.
"I was following it. I had to to admit I was watching that 19-inning game in bed when those boys were out there scuffling, grinding," Gibbons said. "But, yeah, I kept up to date and I talked to DeMarlo [Hale] and Ross."
Martin and Travis depart Florida
Gibbons said catcher Russell Martin and second baseman Devon Travis were set to depart Florida on Friday to escape the area before Hurricane Irma hits the region this weekend. Both players were at the club's Minor League complex in Dunedin, Fla., rehabbing injuries, but that work will now continue in Toronto instead. There is no set timetable for either player to return from the disabled list.
The Blue Jays have been taking other precautions in the area as well. The Florida State League recently cancelled its championship game, and instead the Class A Advanced Dunedin Blue Jays were named co-champions after winning their semifinal series on Wednesday night. That allowed the league to wrap up before the storm arrived so everyone had enough time to leave the area. Workouts at the Bobby Mattick Training Center also have been temporarily put on hold until the system moves through.
"They're supposed to arrive tonight to get out of there and continue their work up here," Gibbons said. "I think they're shutting everything down. There wasn't a whole lot they could do there, so come up here and continue their rehab."
Worth noting
• Josh Donaldson was a late scratch for Friday night's game vs. Detroit because of an illness. Darwin Barney moved to third base, Ryan Goins went to second base and rookie Richard Urena got the start at shortstop in the new lineup. Goins initially was expected to play shortstop and Barney was to start at second in the first version of the lineup.
• The Blue Jays recalled right-hander Leonel Campos prior to Friday night's game against the Tigers. Campos has appeared in 10 games out of the bullpen for Toronto this season, posting a 3.09 ERA.