Blue Jays recall Rowdy Tellez, send down Brock Stewart

Rowdy Tellez has been recalled to the Toronto Blue Jays and Brock Stewart has been optioned to the Buffalo Bisons, according to multiple reports. Justin Smoak is still with the club—although his playing time will be reduced with Tellez’s return.

Interestingly, Tellez was spotted in the Blue Jays clubhouse by multiple reporters but it took almost an hour between the first reports of his sighting to the announcement of the transaction.

Rowdy Tellez had walked in 5.9% of his plate appearances up with Toronto this year, paired with a 29.0% strikeout rate. Last season, he walked in 9.0% of his triple-A plate appearances, but during his recent optional assignment with the Buffalo Bisons, he has walked 12.8% of the time. Small sample size alert and all, but the results are consistent with what we’ve heard out of Buffalo, that he has been trying to work more walks.

He still has to deal with an elevated strikeout rate, but Bisons hitting coach Corey Hart had noticed that Tellez has been chasing fewer bad pitches. And one can hardly complain too much about a .366/.450/.688 line in Tellez’s second stint in the league. (Also, Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins should start inking coach Hart to a lengthy contract if he is able to turnaround Tellez like he did with Lourdes Gurriel Jr.)

Brock Stewart threw 76 pitches over 5.1 innings in his bulk appearance yesterday and, equipped with remaining options, was the obvious candidate to go out to make room for Tellez. The Blue Jays return to having a three-man bench.

Blue Jays Lineup

Randal Grichuk is the designated hitter tonight against the Rangers as Billy McKinney starts in right field. Wilmer Font will be opening for bulk pitcher Thomas Pannone, and Ken Giles will indeed be available to come in from the bullpen tonight.