Blue Jays manager John Gibbons decided to give centrefielder Vernon Wells the day off yesterday, insisting that the rest had nothing to do with the fact that Wells will be undergoing surgery on his left shoulder in the off-season.
The rest lasted eight innings as Wells replaced Alex Rios in centre field for defensive purposes.
"The bottom line, Vernon needs a day off," Gibbons said earlier in the day. "He's struggling right now and (I wanted) to give him a little mental break, and it gets Reed (Johnson) back in there too."
Gibbons said he will be giving some veterans rest time but stressed, however, that the Jays are not just going to run out the season with prospects in the lineup.
"We have a pretty good idea what they can do," he said.
AROUND THE CLUBHOUSE
3B Troy Glaus, who will undergo surgery next week to correct a nerve problem in his left foot, left the team yesterday ... Reliever B.J. Ryan, who underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this year, is expected in town Monday to, Gibbons says, "see the boys and probably get a little checkup."
POOR ALEX
The Yankees were whining about a promotion on the Rogers Centre scoreboard. Jays fans on the video screen purposely threw pitches at New York third baseman Alex Rodriquez. "It's ridiculous," manager Joe Torre told the New York Daily News. "Some of the videos they have, it's all about violence ... I don't understand it.
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REPORT CARD
C At the plate: The Jays managed just three hits over nine innings, two by Frank Thomas, which were both RBI.
B+ Starter: A.J. Burnett's one mistake was leaving a changeup over the plate for Johnny Damon in the sixth. But he did well the same inning to get Alex Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui out with two men on base.
B+ Bullpen: Casey Janseen came in during the ninth inning, gave up a hit and then struck out Alex Rodriguez. Scott Downs then got the next two batters in the ninth.
