Drew Hutchison to start Blue Jays' opener at Yankee Stadium
A strong spring training has vaulted Drew Hutchison to the top of the Toronto Blue Jays' rotation as he'll start the Monday's season opener at Yankee Stadium against New York.
The 24-year-old won three of five games (four starts) in the pre-season and sported a 1.50 earned-run average while striking out 12 in 18 innings.
Starting Hutchison in the opener would put him on track to face Baltimore in his second start, a team he dominated last season to the tune of a 2.54 ERA. The right-hander was also the lone American League starter to beat the Orioles three times (3-1).
Hutchison won 11 games in 2014, his first full season after elbow ligament replacement (Tommy John) surgery. In 32 starts, he logged 184 2/3 innings with a 4.48 ERA.
Hutchison wasn't as effective against the Yankees last season as he was versus Baltimore. New York lit him up for five home runs in 31 1/3 innings as Hutchison went 2-4 in six starts with an ugly 5.17 ERA. He fanned 37 but also walked 17.
As a team, Toronto was 3-7 at Yankee Stadium, a slight improvement from the Jays' 0-10 showing in 2013.
Rookie second baseman Devon Travis and fellow newcomer Seattle first baseman Justin Smoak broke camp with the team. Smoak, who hit just .202 in 80 games last season for the Mariners with seven home runs and 30 runs batted in, was claimed on waivers on Oct. 28 and later signed for one year and $1 million US after Toronto declined his $3.65 million option on Nov. 1.
Travis, 24, hit .359 this spring after being acquired in November for centre-fielder Anthony Gose. Travis won the job over Ryan Goins, the injured Maicer Izturis and utility man Steve Tolleson.
Dalton Pompey, who hails from Mississauga, Ont., headed north with the Blue Jays, having beat out Kevin Pillar for the starting job in centre-field.
Hot spring
The 22-year-old Pompey hit .317 across three minor league levels last season and was promoted to the big leagues in September. He also shone at the plate this spring with a .290 average and .343 on-base percentage. The switch-hitting Pompey can be a big asset in steals after recording 43 steals in 50 attempts in the minors last season.
His mother, Valerie, took to Twitter to express her excitement.
The versatile Tolleson, 31, returns for a second season with Toronto after appearing at 55 games at second base, twice at shortstop, 43 at third and seven in the outfield.
He hit .253 in 108 contests last year with three homers and 16 RBIs. Tolleson has matched the home run total in 31 spring at-bats while driving in six in 16 games with a .258 average.
Josh Thole, who was R.A. Dickey's personal catcher with the New York Mets and the past two seasons in Toronto, was assigned to triple-A, leaving Russell Martin with the duties of catching Dickey's knuckleball. Dioner Navarro, who asked for a trade prior to spring training, will see games behind the plate and as designated hitter.
Danny Valencia will be the backup at third base and play at first against left-handed pitchers.
One player who won't travel with the Blue Jays to New York is outfielder Dayan Viciedo.
Coming off a 21-homer season with the Chicago White Sox, he was signed to a minor league deal March 1 when projected starting left-fielder Michael Saunders went down with a knee injury that required surgery on his meniscus.
Viciedo, a five-foot-11, 240-pound Cuban, batted .231 with 58 RBIs for the White Sox in 2014. He had 122 strikeouts and 32 walks in 523 at-bats.
