Wednesday Bantering: Rogers Centre ranked 7th in food safety

Sports Illustrated ranked the Rogers Centre seventh in Major League Baseball in food safety on Tuesday. The ratings, based on a metric that Sports Illustrated created ([non-critical violations + (critical violations * 2)]/total inspected food entities), encasuplated all major-league ballparks except for Comerica Park and Progressive Field, as the requests for public records went unfulfilled.

Here’s what Tanner Walters had to say about the Rogers Center:

Toronto would be even higher on this list if it just had some thermometers. Nine of its critical violations came from a failure to provide thermometers in station storage compartments. Fifty-nine food entities at Rogers Centre have been inspected this season, with most coming at the end of May and beginning of June. Both inspection days featured home games the same day. Most of the non-critical problems had to do with improper cleaning of equipment and various surfaces.

The rest of the AL East didn’t fair as well. Fenway Park ranked second just behind Safeco Field, but Yankee Stadium (21), Camden Yards (26) and Tropicana Field (28) brought up the rear.

Tropicana Field featured the most distressing report, as it finished last out of the 28 ballparks included.

With a staggering 105 critical violations in 2017, Tropicana Field brings up the rear in our rankings. Two food entities (the catering kitchen and the stand outside Section 303) tallied over 20 violations each. Violations ranged from the observed presence of live insects to black mold accumulating inside an ice bin. An employee was observed handling hot dogs and cash without washing hands in between. An ESPN report from seven years ago found that every inspected stand at Tropicana had at least one critical violation. That number has dropped from 100% to about 50%, but the Tampa Bay stadium still leads the way in eye-popping food safety numbers.

The Blue Jays placed Cesar Valdez on the 10-day disabled list with right shoulder impingement and recalled Leonel Campos prior to the game yesterday. Last month, on July 25th, Danny Barnes was placed on the DL with the same injury.

Devon Travis took ground balls at second base prior Tuesday’s game, per Arden Zwelling. Additionally, Travis has been taking batting practice with the team and running on flat ground in the past week. Travis seems pretty upbeat and optimistic about his return, and it appears as if he’s progressing well.

The Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees 4-2 last night, with Josh Donaldson scoring all four Toronto runs on two home runs. J.A. Happ pitched 5.2 innings of one-run ball despite walking four and Ryan Tepera was the sole blemish in the Blue Jays’ relief efforts.

Things might not go as well today. With Masahiro Tanaka on the mound for the games’ 7:07 ET start, the Blue Jays will counter with Nick Tepesch, making his first start in a Blue Jay uniform. You can watch the game on Sportsnet or listen to it on Sportsnet 590.

Follow Mark on Twitter @MarkColley. When the Blue Jays played the Astros, who did Lourdes Gurriel cheer for — his brother or the Blue Jays?