Blue Jays notebook: All-Star nod means Romano scraps cottage plans

Baseball

Published 09.07.2023

Blue Jays notebook: All-Star nod means Romano scraps cottage plans

DETROIT — The plans have been already in place for Jordan Romano to get some downtime. He was all set to go again to Toronto, get within the automobile and drive a pair hours north of the town for a couple of quiet days at a cottage together with his spouse and canine.

Instead, he’s going to Seattle, the place he’ll signify the Toronto Blue Jays on the All-Star Game for the second season in a row. At Comerica Park Sunday morning, supervisor John Schneider took a couple of minutes to inform Romano and his teammates the great news.

“I never thought I’d be in that situation, being among the best of the best,” stated the 30-year-old nearer. “That was just pretty cool and that’s what I’m most looking forward to again.”

The honour comes after a primary half by which Romano saved a league-leading 25 video games together with a 2.95 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 36.2 innings. And after warming up however by no means coming into the sport a yr in the past, this time he’d prefer to pitch.

Regardless, the possibility to match notes with fellow closers appeals to Romano, now in his third yr because the Blue Jays nearer.

“We have a very unique job that not a lot of other people do, so it was fun picking their brains and seeing how they go about things,” he stated.

How to look at the MLB All-Star Game

Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Whit Merrifield and Jordan Romano will signify the Blue Jays within the MLB All-Star Game. Catch the mid-season traditional Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT.

Sportsnet broadcast schedule

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A tenth-round decide within the 2014 draft, Romano was initially developed as a beginning pitcher earlier than changing to reduction full-time in 2019. That was the identical yr he spent spring coaching with the Texas Rangers as a Rule 5 draft decide earlier than being returned to the Blue Jays, the place he’d quickly flourish.

Now, the Markham, Ont., native will get the possibility to signify his hometown group on a global stage as soon as once more.

“I’m super-pumped,” he stated. “All the boys were happy. It’s been a good day so far.”

PROGRESS FOR RYU

Rehabbing left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu pitched 4.0 scoreless innings in a rehab begin at low-A Dunedin Sunday, permitting three hits and putting out one. He threw 37 pitches, of which 27 have been strikes, and topped out at 88.4 m.p.h.

While predicting timelines for pitchers getting back from Tommy John surgical procedure is imprecise at finest, there’s little doubt Ryu’s trending in the fitting path.

Toronto GM Ross Atkins has stated the Blue Jays would really like Ryu to be absolutely stretched out to 80-100 pitches earlier than he’s activated to the big-league roster, which suggests the 36-year-old will doubtless want one other couple of begins within the minors earlier than he’s a practical possibility for the big-league rotation.

After Alek Manoah’s robust begin Friday, the Blue Jays have 5 starters within the rotation once more for the primary time in a month. Even so, a wholesome, efficient Ryu can be a welcome addition to any pitching workers.

At the Letters

Ben Nicholson-Smith is Sportsnet’s baseball editor. Arden Zwelling is a senior author. Together, they carry you essentially the most in-depth Blue Jays podcast within the league, masking off all the newest news with opinion and evaluation, in addition to interviews with different insiders and group members.

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ROTATION RESET

The Blue Jays understand how they’ll line up their rotation popping out of the All-Star break, however they aren’t sharing the main points simply but.

Kevin Gausman will pitch in some unspecified time in the future within the opening collection in opposition to the Arizona Diamondbacks, maybe within the Friday night time opener. Beyond that, Jose Berrios and Chris Bassitt seem like candidates to start out as nicely.