The Blue Jays had a pretty active day, by their standards at least, on the first day back from the all-star break.
No trades would be made, an ongoing process that will eventually reach its conclusion on July 30 when MLB’s trade deadline arrives at 6 p.m. ET.
Off the diamond, the Jays activated Yimi Garcia from the injured list, recalled Erik Swanson from the minors while optioning Zach Pop.
Additional moves will follow in the ensuing days and weeks while everyone is hopeful of watching some entertaining baseball as well.
For most of Friday night, the first of a nine-game homestand, the announced crowd of 39,697 had nothing to cheer, especially when the Blue Jays were getting no-hit by the Detroit Tigers into the fifth inning.
Then came a two-run home run by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as Detroit’s lead was trimmed to one run.
After leading 5-2, the Tigers’ advantage was back to one run following a George Springer two-run belt.
At least there was drama and intrigue with every final at-bat and out.
In the end, though, it still amounted to a 5-4 Blue Jays loss.
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Two big mistakes by Chris Bassitt resulted in all five of Detroit’s runs.
Bo Bichette was back in the lineup, but it was short-lived.
It was Bichette who broke up Tigers starter Jack Flaherty’s no-hit bid.
Bichette then came up limping as he ran out of the box by favouring his right leg.
Bichette missed the team’s three-game series in Arizona after he injured his right calf muscle during Toronto’s stay in San Francisco.
The club would announce just prior to Detroit taking its swings in the ninth inning that Bichette had suffered a right calf strain.
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In the top of the seventh inning, Leo Jimenez was at shortstop for Bichette.
In the home half of the eighth, Steward Berroa, who entered as a pinch runner, stole second base to record his first big-league swipe as the Jays had the tying run in scoring position.
Berroa was left stranded.
CHRIS IS AMISS
Through two innings, the only mistake Bassitt made was yielding a one-out walk in the second inning.
In the third, he gave up a leadoff single, but it would be erased on a seldom seen broken bat 1-3 double play.
A second hit would be surrendered before the inning was retired on a fly ball just behind second base.
Then came the third when the Tigers mauled Toronto’s starter.
All told, Detroit sent seven hitters up to the plate.
The biggest hit was produced by Mark Canha, who took Bassitt deep for a two-run homer as the Tigers took a 3-0 lead.
JACK POT
The Jays had no answer for Flaherty.
On Flaherty’s first pitch, Springer made solid contact on a sharply hit ball left fielder Ryan Vilade would secure for the out.
What ensued was a series of softly hit groundouts, routine fly balls to the outfield, called third strikes or swinging strikeouts.
In fact, Flaherty retired the first 13 batters he faced.
Once he retired the leadoff hitter in the home half of the fifth, Bichette reached base on an opposite field hit just inside the bag at first base.
A second hit followed when Daulton Varsho’s diving ball into left field went off the turf for a single as Bichette advanced to second.
Strikeouts to Alejandro Kirk and Ernie Clement would end the inning.
Toronto would do damage in the sixth inning off Flaherty.
After retiring the first two hitters, Flaherty walked Spencer Horwitz.
Flaherty was then taken deep for a two-run belt off the bat of Vlad Jr., a rocket he launched into left field to record his 15th home run of the season.
The Jays were trailing by one run.
VOTTO WATCH
John Schneider stated the obvious when he told the assembled gathering at his pre-game availability that Canada’s Joey Votto was one step closer to returning to the big leagues.
Having joined the Jays’ Triple-A affiliate, the logical progression, dependent on performance and physical recovery, would see the Etobicoke native sporting a Toronto jersey.
In time, maybe he will and then again maybe he won’t.
Hours after Schneider made his announcement, Votto tweaked his right ankle in Buffalo where he was scheduled to play for the Bisons.
No word on when Votto will debut for the Bisons, but he will be re-evaluated Saturday.
In other health-related news, Isiah Kiner-Falefa (knee) has resumed baseball activities.
IKF emerged as one of the team’s few feel-good stories during the first half of the season, even moving to the top of the order.
IKF was injured during pre-game warmups earlier in the month.
The hope is IKF will be back perhaps as early as mid-August.
As with Votto, only time will tell.
Finally, the Jays No. 1 prospect and perpetually injured Ricky Tiedemann will get a second opinion on his forearm in the next few days.
Nothing, it seems, has gone right for the lefty.
FUTURE FOR FRANCIS
A pitcher worth monitoring in the minors is righty Bowden Francis, who began the season with the big-league club as its fifth starter.
Prior to the all-star break, the Jays optioned the versatile Francis to Buffalo.
Friday night with the Bisons, Francis went four innings and gave up zero runs and no hits while striking out eight and walking one.
His 58-pitch outing featured 44 strikes.
What makes Francis worth following involves the fate of Yusei Kikuchi, whom many believe will fetch the Jays a decent prospect for the pending free agent as the July 30 trade deadline approaches.
If Kikuchi does get traded, someone must fill the void.
Francis seems like the logical candidate.