Wednesday Bantering: Stripling Back, Thornton Down

I’m not a big fan of afternoon games on weekdays.

The Jays made a roster move. We knew it was coming. Ross Stripling is off the IL on and on the roster. Trent Thornton is on his way to Buffalo again. I wondered if they would do something with Kikuchi instead, but no.

No pressure Ross, but I think we need a complete game shutout, and to do that, you’ll need 27 strikeouts because we can’t field the ball. But I have confidence in you.

The Jays made a signing. Yoshi Tsutsugo signed a minor league contract with the team and will join the Bisons.

His .171/.249/.229 line in 50 games with the Pirates doesn’t fill me with confidence that he will turn out to be anything, but then he hit .268/.347/.535 with 8 home runs in 43 games last year. He hits left-handed and plays all over the field. So who knows? He’s 30 now.

It almost has to get better, because it can’t get no worse. Getting better all the time.

Every part of the game slumping.

MLB Pipeline has redone their top 100 prospects list, and there are three Blue Jays on the list:

#7: Gabriel Moreno:

Moreno has made promising developments behind the plate as well. An infielder at the time of signing, the 22-year-old puts his athleticism to use with blocking, receiving and throwing. He has a plus arm with a quick release, capable of controlling the running game as he did with a 40 percent caught-stealing rate last year. Moreno saw some time at third base in the AFL, but his ceiling behind the plate is immense as a potential All-Star.

#34: Ricky Tiedemann:

With as much upward momentum as any prospect in the organization, Tiedemann has already accelerated his development timeline significantly. The Jays have tried to manage Tiedemann’s workload some — giving him a midseason pause in Florida before his ascent to New Hampshire — and that’s about the only thing that’s held him back. With his ability to generate whiffs with a stellar three-pitch mix, Tiedemann has quickly become one of the game’s best pitching prospects.

#73: Orelvis Martinez:

An average runner at best, he seems like a prime candidate to slow down more as he ages and gets stronger. The Blue Jays have already given him time at both short and third base, and while he remains raw at short right now, he seems likely destined for the hot corner long term with enough arm for the position. Even if he does move, Martinez possesses a high ceiling as a power-first infielder.

Yesterday’s Umpire Scorecard. We don’t get to blame the umpire. Being fair, umpires tend to, being human, favour the team behind a little bit.

Today’s lineup. It is different. Chapman leads off, Springer is getting a day off. Interesting choice in Chapman. Maybe it is what he needs. Jansen catches. After having a good day at the plate, Espinal plays second again.