Wednesday Bantering: Dalton Pompey starts rehab assignment

Dalton Pompey began his rehab assignment last night with Dunedin Blue Jays, going 3-for-4 with a double, walk, steal and three RBIs. Pompey batted leadoff in the outing and didn’t appear to have any lasting effects from his concussion at the World Baseball Classic, although, as with any player, it’s difficult to tell a player’s development from one game.

J.A. Happ was activated from the disabled list yesterday, as the Blue Jays optioned Dominic Leone in a corresponding move. In his first start off of the DL, Happ went four innings (81 pitches) and allowed three earned runs, struggling in the early innings but gaining traction against the Reds lineup in the latter part of his start.

The man who threw a beer can onto the field during the 2016 American League Wild Card game has pleaded guilty to charges associated with the act, per the Canadian Press. The man, who will not be named here, agreed to a statement of facts that did not indicate why he threw the can.

The incident occurred on a fly ball to left fielder Hyun Soo Kim. The can, thrown just prior to Kim catching the ball, “narrowly missed the player and nearly interfered with the play,” the statement of facts stated. “It caused a significant disruption in the game and created concerns for player safety.”

Kim, the player most involved in the incident, didn’t know about the proceedings until he was notified by a journalist. “I feel very appreciative about how everybody has been treating this," Kim told Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun.

"There was very quick response by the Blue Jays and the government, but I'm very surprised to hear about this. I didn't know until you just told me. More than anything, I feel very appreciative. Since I am from a different country, but regardless of that, them showing a very quick response and responsibility, I appreciate it."

The Blue Jays beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-4 last night, elevating their record to just two games below .500 after being 11 games below near the end of April. As Jon Morosi points out, since the Blue Jays lost both games of their double-header against the Cardinals on April 27th, they have had an 18-11 record, the second best in the American League only to the Astros, who are on pace to finish with the fourth best record of the expansion era. Not bad.

The Blue Jays hit four home runs in the winning effort, including back-to-back blasts from Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista. Donaldson’s home run was just the 11th by a Blue Jay to reach the 500 level. Take a look at the highlight of this play. The ball was hit 435 feet, by the way.

Kendrys Morales also hit a home run in the eighth inning, a hit that ended up winning the game for Toronto.

Today, the Blue Jays will play an early 12:37 ET game with Mike Bolsinger on the mound. With Francisco Liriano expected back on Friday, this is likely Bolsingers’ last major league start for a duration of time. Tim Adleman is starting for the Reds. You can watch the game on SNET and listen to it on SN590.

The Blue Jays quietly released Mat Latos last night, stuffing the information inside of a triple-A Buffalo game notes packet. With Toronto’s rotation (mostly) back and healthy, the need for Latos, especially when other pitchers (Mike Bolsinger, Joe Biagini) are favored, has diminished greatly over the past two weeks. It is unclear whether Latos opted out of his contract or was released by the organization.

Follow Mark on Twitter: @MarkColley.