When the Toronto Blue Jays acquired Whit Merrifield at the MLB trade deadline, they added a versatile hitter and fielder to the lineup. But little did they know, a relief pitcher had joined their ranks, too.
With Toronto trailing 10-0 to the Los Angeles Angeles entering the ninth inning on Friday night, Merrifield took the mound in place of a Blue Jays pitcher who might save his arm for a higher-stakes scenario this weekend. It's only the 15th time a Blue Jays position player has pitched in a game.
The result? Thirteen gentle tosses down the middle, a couple pop flys and only one home run surrendered — a two-run shot from Jo Adell, who saw a prime opportunity to pad his stats.
It was Merrifield's first time pitching in the majors. The 33-year-old previously pitched one inning in the minors in 2013, recording a save and zero earned runs.
