BALTIMORE — Rehab starts are on the horizon for J.A. Happ and Francisco Liriano, allowing the Toronto Blue Jays to envision a not-so-distant future with a reinforced starting rotation.
For now, the Blue Jays expect to start Joe Biagini and Marcus Stroman against the Milwaukee Brewers, followed by Mike Bolsinger, Marco Estrada and, in all likelihood, Biagini against the Texas Rangers.
“That’s tentatively where we’re at right now,” pitching coach Pete Walker said. “We could do some other things, but that’s the plan and we’re trying to get Liriano and Happ back as soon as possible, but also making sure that they’re ready.”
Liriano responded well from a Thursday bullpen session and threw on flat ground at Camden Yards Sunday. The shoulder soreness that sent him to the disabled list May 11 has diminished steadily.
“Everything feels great right now,” he said. “Everything feels the way I want it to. It’s getting better every day.”
The Blue Jays expect to have the left-hander pitch a simulated game in Milwaukee Tuesday, at which point he’ll throw 45-50 pitches over three innings. If that goes well, he’d be on track to make a rehab start as soon as next weekend.
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J.A. Happ took a major step forward Saturday, when he threw 48 pitches at extended spring training. He threw all of his pitches, with a fastball that sat around 89-90 mph and touched 92.
“He’s feeling the strength back in his arm,” Walker said. “It’s just a matter of (getting) the feel for his pitches. He was real happy with his outing.”
Next up, Happ will make a rehab start, throwing approximately four innings and 60 pitches in Dunedin, Fla. If that outing goes well, a return to the big-leagues wouldn’t be out of the question.
“There’s always a chance he could come back to us (following a rehab start), but we want to see him feeling good,” Walker said. “That’s a priority: that he feels really good about where he’s at, that the stuff is good and he’s having no issues at all.”
While Liriano and Happ continue making progress, Aaron Sanchez is now sidelined because of a sore spot that developed on the tip of the middle finger of his pitching hand. It’s a different issue than the cracked nail that recently sent him to the disabled list, one that emerged May 14 and persisted Friday in Baltimore.
“It wasn’t getting better, so it’s the smart decision right now to hold him off until that thing’s cleared up,” Walker said.
Manager John Gibbons said Saturday that he expects Sanchez to take his time to ensure that he’s at full strength when he does return. That said, the Blue Jays aren’t assuming it’ll be an extended absence.
“I hope not, but we don’t want to send him back out there with a tender finger,” Walker said. “It’s affecting his finger.”
