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It was like music to Blue Jays fans’ ears when general manager Ross Atkins sang a song of optimism about the remainder of the season on Wednesday. Atkins declared the Jays are focused on winning this year and are looking to add, not subtract, from their roster. 

Of course, there is some GM speak mixed in with his comments. There was a silent “for now” after every proclamation he made. General managers tend to tell the truth, but sometimes it’s not the whole truth. Atkins and team president Mark Shapiro believe they still have a shot in the AL East because no team has run away with the division and what many felt was the scary team – the Red Sox – isn’t in first.

Boston started the season with similar expectations as the Jays but has underachieved. The Yankees have been playing well and gaining confidence but there is still doubt about the quality of their starting pitching. The same can be said for the Orioles. Baltimore’s starting pitching is always questionable but this year it’s their bullpen that has been sub-par as well. The return of Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki further bolsters the Toronto front office’s belief a hot streak may be coming.

So, what would change their minds? If the Yankees and Orioles don’t start to fall back to the pack, things could change. If the Red Sox get hot and run away with the division, all bets could be off. If the Jays can’t stay healthy, Atkins and Shapiro may have to write this season off. If the Blue Jays don’t make a run and make it soon, the club may change their position of buying versus selling.

 

Baseball’s blister blight

One of the keys to a turnaround this season will be the return of Aaron Sanchez to the rotation. He is currently on his third stint on the disabled list this season stemming from a blister issue on the middle finger of his pitching hand. What started as a blister problem became a split fingernail. Now, it’s a laceration on the troublesome finger.

Blisters seem innocuous and sound trivial but they can be quite the nuisance. It’s nearly impossible to know when a blister is completely healed. The new skin is always different, and sometimes what appears to be tough skin may not be so tough. It isn’t surprising that Sanchez has had a few setbacks.

This has been a bigger issue this year than any year I can remember. Rich Hill of the Dodgers has been on and off the DL multiple times with blisters from last season through his recent activation from the disabled list. Diamondbacks starter Taijuan Walker is suffering from them too. Before his lat injury, Mets ace Noah Syndergaard was dealing with blisters followed by a split fingernail.

Blisters typically occur when the seams of the baseball rub aggressively on the index or middle finger as a pitcher exerts pressure on the ball to make it move. Usually, it’s the breaking ball that causes the most trouble as pitchers grip and pull on the seams to generate torque. Throwing a two-seamed fastball can cause issues as well.

The challenge for the Jays and Sanchez is to determine when he’s ready to pitch again. They’ll likely be a bit more patient than the last couple of times, but they’ll still be using their best guess. There is no MRI or other diagnostic test to determine when a pitcher’s skin has healed.

Pitchers who are prone to blisters often deal with them multiple times throughout their career, so this may not be the last we hear about this issue with Sanchez. The Dodgers have contemplated moving Hill to the bullpen to manage his blisters if he doesn’t heal enough to start. The Jays aren’t there yet with Sanchez, but at some point, desperate people do desperate things.

I think that MLB needs to research the manufacturing of baseballs. When multiple pitchers are dealing with blisters the obvious concern is that there may be some change to the manufacturing process. The balls are made in a factory in Costa Rica and supposedly haven’t been changed, other than new logos stamped on the ball when the commissioner changes.  At the very least, there should be a quality control test to ensure the consistency of the product.

 

Is Price ready to pitch?

The Red Sox are hoping to make a run of their own. They are 25-21, which, compared to the Jays, doesn’t seem so bad. But it’s a far cry from where they thought they would be. In fact, their manager, John Farrell, is rumored to be on the hot seat despite getting a vote of confidence from club president Dave Dombrowski. 

David Price, one of their two lefty aces, hasn’t pitched in the majors this season.  An injured elbow in spring training has sidelined him, but he’s working his way back now. He made his second minor-league rehab start in Pawtucket, R.I. on Wednesday. He threw 89 pitches but lasted only 3 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out four. He hardly sounds ready. His fastball did touch 96 mph, but pitching is more than velocity.

The Red Sox announced that Price will start Monday against the White Sox.  If I were running the Red Sox, I would send Price out for another rehab start. There is no rush. The team is in a decent spot in the standings and needs Price at his best for the rest of the season.

Boston’s starting pitching has not been as great as was expected this season. Certainly, the absence of Price is part of that, but it’s not the whole problem. Chris Sale has been solid but the rest of the rotation has been mediocre at best. Rick Porcello, the AL Cy Young winner last year, is 3-4 with a 4.35 ERA. Their No. 5 starters have a combined ERA over 9.00.

Price’s postseason record has been dismal. He will only be truly accepted in Boston when he steps up in October. The problem is that they may not get to play in the fall unless Price is great right away in the regular season. It remains to be seen if the will be physically able to pitch at a high level.

 

Spitting Seeds

- The Washington Nationals have had issues at the end of games. They lost closer Mark Melancon to the San Francisco Giants in free agency. They also lost out on bids for Kenley Jansen (Dodgers) and Aroldis Chapman (Yankees) in the offseason. They tried to pry David Robertson from the White Sox when they acquired Adam Eaton last December. They keep losing in their pursuit for an answer in the ninth inning. The Nats started the season with Blake Treinen as the closer. He failed, so they went to Shawn Kelley. Kelley ended up on the disabled list and hasn’t been the same since. Manager Dusty Baker recently named Koda Glover as the closer.  He is just 24-years-old and has less than a year of major-league service. I’m not convinced he is the answer. The Nats don’t need to solve this issue to win the division. But if they want to advance in the playoffs they will need an upgrade.  There will be no Chapman, Melancon or Andrew Miller available this year. So guys like Kelvin Herrera (Royals), Robertson, Alex Colome (Rays) or Bud Norris (LA Angels) will have to suffice. It will be a shame if their entire roster is World Series-calibre except their closer.

- Once the White Sox traded Adam Eaton and Chris Sale, speculation grew that Jose Quintana would be next. The White Sox got a lot of offers, but none met the level of their desire. So they held on to him, expecting to cash in on a deal at the trade deadline this July. They may have overplayed their hand. Quintana is pitching poorly this year, with a 2-6 record and 4.82 ERA. Now they will either have to trade from a low position or wait until he rebuilds his performance. I would wait if I were them. 

- One team that won’t have to wait is the Oakland A’s. Their bargaining chip, starting pitcher Sonny Gray, is 2-1 with a 3.34 ERA.  Gray looks healthy again and will likely be the best starting pitcher available at the deadline in July. 

- The Colorado Rockies have always enjoyed the home-field advantage of Coors Field. The downside of playing in Colorado’s high altitude is that hitters struggle miserably away from home, so the team loses far more than they win. In fact, prior to this season, the Rockies have had only one year with a winning record on the road. Things are different this year. The Rockies are 18-8 on the road and are gaining confidence with every win. The Colorado offence is still much better at home, but they are scoring enough on the road to support the tremendous pitching they’re getting. They have the second-best team ERA on the road. The staff has been able to separate the pain of giving up so many runs at home from what they are as pitchers. They aren’t losing their confidence and believe in their approach of inducing ground balls.

- The Minnesota Twins have been surprisingly good this season. They’re much better than a year ago. They have a solid offence and their pitching is better. They had the worst pitching in the AL in 2016 and this year they’re ranked ninth. But the biggest improvement in the 2017 Twins is their defence. They committed the most errors last season (126) by a wide margin, but this year they’ve committed the fewest (15). They’re on pace for 60 errors this season, less than half of what they committed last year. This leads to fewer baserunners, fewer extra bases and fewer pitches thrown by the staff. Clearly, it’s making a big difference.