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Blue Jays bolster their outfield: Anthony Gose and Kevin Pillar recalled, Erik Kratz optioned, Brett Lawrie placed on DL

By Minor Leaguer
Minor Leaguer

Sunday's game between the Blue Jays and Reds saw Brett Lawrie and Jose Bautista leaving the game due to injury. Bautista experienced hamstring tightness and is still day-to-day until MRI results come in later today, while Lawrie's injury was immediately diagnosed as a finger fracture. Because the Blue Jays don't expect Bautista to play in tonight's game against the Yankees, a series of moves were made to bring up some outfielders.

To create two spots on the 25-man roster, according to pretty much everyone on the beat, the Blue Jays placed Lawrie on the 15-day disabled list (although he will be out longer than that) and optioned catcher Erik Kratz to Buffalo. Anthony Gose and Kevin Pillar have been recalled to fill those two spots. Although Gose reported to Buffalo just two days ago after his latest optioning, Lawrie's placement on the disabled list waived the normal 10-day minimum for optional assignments.

Once word of Bautista and Lawrie's injuries circulated in the Bisons pressbox, we thought that Pillar would be a prime candidate for a callup. Since being sent down to triple-A in mid-June, Pillar had been hitting .391/.429/.609 with the Bisons. He hit a two-run homer (with Gose on third) right out of Buffalo's Coca-Cola Field yesterday afternoon. He went 1-for-4, but he also hit a solid line drive that went right at the left fielder for an out.

Manager Gary Allenson liked his attitude after being sent back down, saying that "he's been on a mission since he signed to prove everybody wrong that they made a mistake of drafting [him] so low."

The infield currently consists of Edwin Encarnacion at first, a Munenori Kawasaki and Steve Tolleson platoon at second, Jose Reyes at shortstop, and Juan Francisco at third. One would expect further roster moves in the coming days, perhaps to bring up a second backup infielder.

UPDATE

Jose Bautista will remain day-to-day with a diagnosis of a mild hamstrain string (or was it a mild hamstring strain?), according to Sportsnet's Jamie Campbell.

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