Jays' outfield crowded
By KEN FIDLIN, QMI Agency
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TORONTO - Colby Rasmus is ready to rejoin the Blue Jays Friday, coming off a rehab stint with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, and while some of the at-bats that had allowed the Jays a chance to get a look at Adam Loewen will dry up, manager John Farrell vowed he would find some starts for Loewen.
“It’s likely that Colby comes back for the weekend series against New York, but we’ll find a place for (Loewen) to get in there,” Farrell said. “September is about taking a look at all our personnel and he’s capitalized on every opportunity. He’ll still be in the mix.”
TUTU MUCH
Brett Lawrie isn’t expecting to miss any playing time as a result of a bruised knee suffered in a violent collision with Boston catcher Jason Varitek at the plate on Wednesday. Lawrie was running from third on contact.
“It’s one of those situations where it’s going to be bang-bang at the plate, and it’s just the way it went down,” Lawrie said. “Just my left outside knee is bruised. It’s nothing bad.”
Lawrie was wearing a fetching pink ballerina tutu as he spoke to the media after the game in Boston, part of a rookie hazing ritual. He and J.P. Arencibia had permission from the team to attend the Canadian Country Music Awards in Hamilton on Monday, so they missed the mass rookie costume extravaganza on the team flight to Boston.
They didn’t get off the hook for the flight home after the two-game series.
JEKYLL AND HYDE
During his three-up, three-down outing Wednesday in Boston, Frank Francisco routinely hit 96 m.p.h. on the radar gun on the way to his 15th save.
Francisco’s season is actually two seasons. Before the all-star break, he had a 5.92 ERA with a WHIP of 1.849 in 24 1/3 innings, and opponents were hitting .301 against him.
In 23 1/3 innings since the all-star break, he has a 1.54 ERA and a WHIP of .857 with a .188 batting average against.
After four blown saves in the first half, Francisco is 5-for-5 in the second half.
