Blue Jays Shuffle Roster Ahead of Shane Bieber’s Return Versus Houston Astros
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The Toronto Blue Jays have been hot over the past two weeks in the American League East. Trying to overcome a rash of injuries that set them back through almost the entire first half of the season, the Blue Jays have decided to make some more roster moves ahead of Monday night’s home series opener against the Houston Astros.
Toronto selected the contract of infielder Luis Urías and activated him ahead of the 7:07 pm ET start time at Rogers Centre.
The Blue Jays acquired Urías from the Arizona Diamondbacks June 20th in return for cash considerations. The move was made to provide some more infield depth that was apparently needed immediately.
To make room on the 40-man roster, Toronto optioned Yohendrick Piñango to Triple-A Buffalo. Piñango made his MLB debut on April 26. Across hits 43 games, he has a batting average of .283, but zooming in to his last seven games, and he has hit a cold streak. He is slashing just .111/.238/.222 over the last seven, so a reset to get things figured out won’t hurt anything.
Varsho and Bieber Headline the Good News
The roster moves on Monday come against two other significant Blue Jays developments. Daulton Varsho returned from the IL on June 20 after missing games due to left wrist inflammation.
In his first game back on June 20 against the Chicago Cubs, Varsho made an immediate positive impact. He went 1-4 but hit a home run and 3 RBI in the Blue Jays 8-6 victory. The return of the switch-hitter is just one piece that will help turn Toronto’s season around.
Shane Bieber has been announced to make his return to the mound on Tuesday. The right-hander has been sidelined since March due to right elbow inflammation. This will be a major boost for a rotation that has struggled with multiple injuries.
Chosen Starting Lineup Versus Houston Astros
After winning four of their last five, Toronto is looking to keep that momentum moving against the Houston Astros. Here is the lineup for Monday:
- DH George Springer
- RF Nathan Lukes (L)
- 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr
- C Alejandro Kirk
- CF Daulton Varsho (L)
- 3B Kazuma Okamoto
- LF Jesus Sanchez (L)
- 2B Ernie Clement
- SS Andrés Giménez
The Blue Jays now sit 8.5 games back of the New York Yankees in the AL East, but they are very much in the Wild Card conversation, as they currently hold down the third spot. There are several teams within striking distance, though, so it is imperative that Toronto keep its eye on the prize.
The pitching matchup in the series opener will feature Dylan Cease on the mound for Toronto against Astro Hunter Brown. The Astros have been struggling at 37-42 on the season, so this is a very achievable win.
It seems as though the Blue Jays just might be getting healthy at exactly the right time.
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Laura Lambert resides in Wiggins, Colo. with her husband, Ricky and two sons, Brayden and Boedy. She attended the University of Northern Colorado while studying economics. She is an accomplished rodeo athlete and barrel horse trainer along with being a life-long sports fan. Over the years, Laura has been active in journalism in a variety of roles. While continuing to cover western sports and country music, she is currently enjoying expanding her reach into multiple sports including MLB, NFL, and WNBA. Laura covers the Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, and Rodeo for On SI. You can reach her at lauralambertmedia@gmail.com