Roberto Osuna, Michael Saunders leave team for birth of respective children

Roberto Osuna and Michael Saunders left the major-league team yesterday with the birth of their respective children. Major League Baseball’s paternity list lasts at least one game and no more than three.

Osuna returned to his native Mexico, while Saunders, a recent September call-up and former All-Star with the Blue Jays, went to his home in Colorado.

Russell Martin expects to be back in Toronto’s lineup by Wednesday, Jeff Blair of Sportsnet reports. He took batting practice on Monday and will catch a bullpen session at some point prior to his return.

“He could be back in the next couple of days,” Gibbons told the media.

After Hurricane Irma struck Florida, Ross Atkins told Arden Zwelling that the Blue Jays’ spring training facilities and home of the Dunedin Blue Jays survived without significant damage. Some netting came down in the high winds and a storage unit was blown around, but the damage aside from that was not extreme.

All players and staff in the area are safe, Atkins said. “We weathered the storm as well as we could’ve hoped.”

The Blue Jays won their third consecutive game on Monday night, beating the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 and providing another road block in the way of Baltimore’s fading wildcard hopes. Marco Estrada pitched five innings and allowed two earned runs, while Ryan Goins hit his seventh home run of the season.

Darwin Barney apparently thought that the second and third bases were 75 feet apart.

Today, Toronto plays Baltimore for the second of their three-game series with Joe Biagini on the mound. Dylan Bundy is pitching for the Orioles. If they win today, it’ll be their fourth straight victory (the longest winning streak this season is five) and second straight series win.

Other notes:

• Former Blue Jay scout Mel Didier passed away at age 90 yesterday. He spent his final seven years in baseball with the Blue Jays.
• With a 2-1 win yesterday, the Vancouver Canadians have a chance to win the Northwest League Championship tonight. Nate Pearson, in the victory, pitched four innings and gave up one earned run on two walks and four strikeouts.
• Remember that piece about Josh Donaldson in Toronto Life from the spring? The writer of the story, Malcolm Johnston, is giving away a giant print of the cover on Twitter to someone who can provide the most compelling reason of why they should own it. You can see the original tweet here.