173 batting average against this season, received four cortisone shots on Monday to help heal a sore back that flared up after his last start.
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There are five players from each league that are nominated and an online poll that ends Friday, July 8 at 4 p.m. will determine whether the Victoria, B.C., native becomes the 15th Canadian-born player in the all-star game.
“I want to be able to pitch”, Estrada said.
On the same night baseball’s hottest commodities were named for the upcoming MLB All-Star Game, a couple of pitchers in the twilight of their careers went to work tossing slow-movers while hoping for a change of personal fortune. The tentative plan is for Estrada to return to the rotation during the team’s first post-All-Star break homestand. “If I can’t pitch for the team, I shouldn’t pitch anywhere else”. We haven’t put a stamp on anything….
“We just thought it was best”, Gibbons said. So, for Estrada’s own good, the Blue Jays eliminated any possibility of that happening when they placed him on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 3.
Right-hander Drew Hutchison will sub for Estrada on Thursday against Detroit, making his second Jays start and his third appearance in the majors this year. The other day I pitched with a bad back and my velo was way down and I still did OK.
“I want to show guys in high school who don’t think they throw hard enough that it really doesn’t matter. Just hit your spots”.
“He probably won’t pitch in (Phoenix) because (pitchers have) to hit”, Gibbons said.
“Marco, honestly, I think he should have been in the Cy Young conversation past year”.
Named an AL All-Star reserve earlier in the evening, Donaldson has scored 77 runs, a franchise record for runs before the All-Star break. Kennedy has allowed 20 home runs, including one in each of his past six starts.
It was the teams’ first game since the Royals beat Toronto in Game 6 of last year’s American League Championship Series.
Josh Donaldson homered twice, opening up the offence for the Blue Jays with a drive to centre-field in the bottom of the first inning and following it up with his 22nd home run of the season, a mammoth blast, in the third.
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Chris Young reacts after giving up a solo home run to Toronto Blue Jays’ Josh Donaldson during the third of a baseball game in Toronto on Tuesday, July 5, 2016.
While he won’t start at third this time – Baltimore’s Manny Machado got that honour – Donaldson said he’s happy to let his bat do the talking for him.
The 33-year-old Encarnacion has 22 home runs and 76 RBI to go along with a. 264 batting average in 84 games.
“I feel really honoured and happy to make it again”, Encarnacion said following the announcement, adding, like Donaldson, he doesn’t intend to take part in the home run derby either.
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“We still have a lot of games left to play and I need to be healthy for (the Blue Jays)”, said Estrada, who said his back wasn’t great but improving and that he was limited to walking at this point in his rehabilitation.
