Cavan Biggio and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to be called up by the Blue Jays

Cavan Biggio will be making his major league debut for the Blue Jays very soon, as the club will be calling him up along with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. tomorrow. Optioned to triple-A Buffalo will be Billy McKinney and Richard Ureña.

The story was first reported by Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and later confirmed by the Blue Jays.

It is quite apt that the Biggio and Gurriel, both sons of ballplayers, will be arriving in Toronto to face the Fathers—the San Diego Padres. (The Padres will have a son of their own in this series, as Cal Quantrill is the probable starter against the Blue Jays on Saturday).

Cavan Biggio, a 2016 fifth-round pick out of Notre Dame, enjoyed a breakout year in double-A New Hampshire in 2018 after a pedestrian 2017 campaign in Dunedin. The 24-year-old bats left and has played all over the diamond so far this season with Buffalo: 22 games at second base, seven at third, six at first, four in right field, and one in left.

Biggio started the season red-hot, ending April with an eye-watering .370/.500/.644 line, and has actually cooled off in the last month. He went 1-for-3 today with two walks for the Bisons, ending his stint at triple-A batting .307/.445/.504 through 173 plate appearances.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was demoted earlier this season after two high-profile throwing errors at second base, with the club all but acknowledging that he needed some time in the minor leagues to clear his head. Gurriel was mostly at second base in triple-A but had six games each in left field and shortstop. Gurriel did not tear the cover off the ball in Buffalo but did manage to hit .273/.305/.479, still being reluctant to take walks.

The Blue Jays had a promotional Lourdes Gurriel bobblehead day while Gurriel was on his optional assignment—I hope someone on the team saved one for his return.

Going the other way is the much-shuttled backup infielder Richard Ureña (who must be tired filling out travel reimbursement forms by now) and outfielder Billy McKinney. McKinney struggled at the plate and in the field out of the gate, but has had a good week. The numbers game forces him to attempt to continue his good week down in the International League.

As Biggio is not on the 40-man roster and the recently-claimed Zac Rosscup is not yet on the 25-man roster, either a single or a couple of roster moves will need to be made before Friday’s game.