NEW YORK — The Toronto Blue Jays recalled shortstop Ryan Goins ahead of Thursday’s matinee against the New York Yankees while infielder Maicer Izturis was placed on the disabled list with a sprained left ankle.
The 25-year-old is the latest reinforcement from triple-A Buffalo, joining the club on the heels of outfielders Kevin Pillar, Anthony Gose and Moises Sierra. A fourth-round pick in 2009, he was batting .257/.311/.369 with six homers and 46 RBIs in 111 games with the Bisons.
“Another very consistent season,” assistant GM Tony LaCava, who oversees the farm system, said of Goins before the decision to recall him was made. “He’s a guy we challenged with double-A last year, he was start-to-finish one of the more consistent players on the team, same thing this year in triple-A, he hasn’t had many peaks or valleys, it’s pretty much been a consistent year for him.
“We’ve moved him around the infield, some second, some third, mostly short, but he’s done some other things, and he continues to develop. And I think he’s very close, he’s on the (40-man) roster, to a guy that can help us here.”
Goins played nine games at second and one at third this season, but is considered a solid and steady defender with good hands that make him adaptable around the diamond. He played 23 games at second last year with double-A New Hampshire, when he batted .289/.342/.403 in 136 games with seven homers and 61 RBIs.
That season set him up for bigger things this year, and the five-foot-10, 170-pound left-handed batter joins Pillar and Sean Nolin as Blue Jays to debut in the big-leagues this season.
“We’ve developed him as an everyday player and ultimately his performance will dictate whether he can remain that, or if he has to move around,” said LaCava. “What we’ve tried to do in having him play some second and some third, is make him more employable to this team because the need may come at second, the need may come at third, we don’t know where it’s going to come. If he’s able to play there, it helps both him and us.”
Izturis becomes the 20th different Blue Jays player to hit the disabled list this season.
