TORONTO – Bit by bit, the Blue Jays’ depth has been tested in recent weeks, with significant injuries impacting both the starting lineup and the bullpen.
But on Tuesday, the first of those players returned, with closer Jordan Romano activated from a bout of lower back inflammation. And by Friday, three more Blue Jays could return, including shortstop Bo Bichette, centre fielder Kevin Kiermaier and reliever Trevor Richards.
There are no guarantees when it comes to timing, and some significant hurdles remain before any of those players are on the active roster again, but following a stretch of 17 games in as many days, the Blue Jays can finally breathe a little.
Not only do they have two more days off scheduled in the next week, but some key players are also on the brink of providing impact the club has missed in their absence.
“It’s always a grind,” manager John Schneider said in his office Tuesday afternoon. “I thought everyone did a real good job of stepping up when they needed to.”
“(But) it’s a good time for guys to get healthy.”
Bichette (patellar tendonitis in the right knee) was slated to start at designated hitter for the Blue Jays’ triple-A team Tuesday before the game was postponed due to rain. The Blue Jays planned to start Bichette at shortstop Wednesday followed by a day off Thursday, though those plans were altered following the rainout.
Schneider confirmed that Bichette is scheduled to be the designated hitter on Wednesday instead of playing at shortstop.
Ideally, he’d respond well to those tests and join the Blue Jays in Cincinnati Friday, when they open a weekend series against the Reds.
“We’ll be in touch with him and see how it goes and see how he feels,” Schneider said. “But that would be the hope.”
Bichette has been taking ground balls as he recovers from the injury he sustained on July 31, the eve of MLB’s trade deadline. While one rehab start at shortstop isn’t much, the Blue Jays still anticipate that’ll be enough to get Bichette back to game speed. And there’s always the option of using the DH slot for the player whose .321 batting average ranks second in the American League.
“Knowing him and everything he’s been doing, there shouldn’t be many restrictions,” Schneider said. “But we’ll obviously communicate with him and see how he’s feeling. With other guys that can play that spot, we’re not going to overdo it. But I’m definitely looking forward to getting his bat in.”
Friday could also be the day Kevin Kiermaier returns after a right elbow laceration required stitches and a stint on the IL. The centre fielder took fly balls and hit on the field at Rogers Centre Tuesday, a sign that he’s “getting close,” in Schneider’s view. His stitches have yet to be removed, but he’s progressing quickly enough that a rehab stint won’t likely be required.
As for the Blue Jays’ pitching staff, the return of Romano allows the Blue Jays to shift newcomer Jordan Hicks back into a setup role alongside Erik Swanson, Tim Mayza and Yimi Garcia. After a rehab outing at triple-A, Romano’s fully ready to go with back-to-backs a possibility as needed.
“Feeling really good,” Romano said in the Blue Jays’ clubhouse Tuesday afternoon. “Back wasn’t an issue at all. Body felt great. It’s really just exciting to see all the guys and feel like part of the team again.”
After hitting the injured list on July 29, Romano took about four days off from throwing. Instead, he worked with the Blue Jays’ training staff to reduce inflammation before gradually starting to play catch. But a period of rest was necessary as Romano’s back didn’t feel quite right for the second half of July following an early exit from the All-Star Game on July 11.
“It was hit and miss depending on the day,” he said. “Some days I’d wake up and it would feel pretty good. Some days I’d wake up and it wouldn’t feel good at all. It just didn’t feel right in general and just needed a little bit more time.”
Now, Romano describes himself as “pretty recharged” and ready to handle some of the workload that’s fallen to his teammates. And soon, the Blue Jays anticipate further reinforcements as both Trevor Richards and Chad Green had been slated to pitch in Buffalo Tuesday before rain delayed their progress.
Richards (neck) and Green (Tommy John surgery) are slated to pitch at triple-A as well in order to get the reps they require and re-join the Blue Jays. Green has cleared concussion protocol after taking an errant throw off his head and Richards could be back as soon as Friday.
Simply put, the Blue Jays could be a much stronger team by the time they open their upcoming road trip against the 62-58 Reds and the 74-45 Orioles.
“All the guys have been absolutely grinding,” Romano said. “You come back refreshed and hopefully handle some of the workload.”