NEW YORK -- While waiting for the elevator after finishing up in the clubhouse, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman came over and introduced himself to each of the Toronto scribes on hand.

Cashman chatted with us while we all waited and then on the elevator, talking about the rainout today on Opening Day, and as we all walked off and he headed into the Yankees' offices he left us with this quip:

"You guys are lucky with that retractable roof. We just can't afford one of those down here in New York."

Nice.

As I sit here at 4:56 p.m. -- why does rain always make me work so slowly? -- there ain't a drop falling on the tarp-covered field. Ah, well. There was a steady drizzle earlier and the forecast didn't show any signs of letting up. Might as well hold off until tomorrow night. The game is rescheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET and TSN will pick it up in Toronto.

Vernon Wells, always the kidder, had this take:

"I think the thing is there's going to be so much going on before the game. To do whatever they're going to do for their festivities, bringing back Mickey Mantle and everything else, I don't know if you want to start in this kind of weather."

I wasn't aware there was going to be a pregame seance to have No. 7 on hand for the final Opening Day in Yankee Stadium history. Can't wait.

I will say that it was quite a riot to see people literally hugging in the stands when the PA guy announced that the game would be tomorrow NIGHT. They can head to work tomorrow and still catch the train to the Bronx in the evening to see a ballgame.

Not sure what I'm up to tonight. I'll head back to the hotel for now and go hunt for some dinner. There will be another Final Opening Day in Yankee Stadium history! I'll be there...

NEW YORK -- Go figure that the Baseball Gods would try to force two last Opening Days in Yankee Stadium history. It's raining here right now and it's still up in the air as to whether this game will be played or not. As of right now, it's on, but we'll see what the clouds have to say about that.

The Jays have juuuust about reached a deal with right fielder Alex Rios. There's no more deadline. That was supposed to be today, but GM J.P. Ricciardi said the sides are too close not to get something done in the next few days. Just some last-minute details to iron out and some signatures to obtain before the six-year, $65 million pact can be announced.

Matt Stairs is not in the starting lineup today, but he isn't on the 15-day disabled list, either. The Jays are hoping they don't need to use him today, and with the off-day tomorrow, are hoping the added rest can help him recover from the sore left hip that's been dogging him lately.

Come Wednesday, if Stairs still can't go, the Jays would probably put him on the DL retroactive to March 23. For nowl, Shannon Stewart is in the lineup as the left fielder. Stairs can come off the bench as a pinch hitter, if needed, and he'd be replaced on the basepaths by a pinch runner if he reached base.

Weather permitting, here are...

Today's Lineups:

TORONTO (0-0) at NEW YORK (0-0)
at 1:05 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium

BLUE JAYS
David Eckstein, SS
Shannon Stewart, LF
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Frank Thomas, DH
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Aaron Hill, 2B
Marco Scutaro, 3B
Gregg Zaun, C

PITCHING: RHP Roy Halladay

YANKEES
Johnny Damon, LF
Derek Jeter, SS
Bobby Abreu, RF
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Jason Giambi, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Jorge Posada, C
Hideki Matsui, DH
Mekly Cabrera, CF

PITCHING: RHP Chien-Ming Wang

Weather update from some official types down here. Game is delayed and we have no tentative start time, but they plan on trying to get this game in. More later...

NEW YORK -- First day back on the job and the rigors of regular-season travel hit me smack in the face. Hopped on the trusty No. 4 train with about an hour and a half to spare until the Jays' clubhouse opened. Plenty o' time for what typically is a half-hour trip from Grand Central.

Well, two hours later, I was walking into the Stadium after a nightmarish ordeal. I was booted off one train at 149th (Yankee Stadium is at 161st in the Bronx), waited about 20 minutes for another, got on another 4 train that informed us (after we were moving) that we were going to be heading three or four stops past Yankee Stadium and we'd have to backtrack for the stops in between. Nice.

Topping it off, before we reached the "first" stop, our train came to a dead stop and stayed that way for a half hour at least. There were construction crews working on the track we were riding on. Awesome. We finally got moving again and when I got out it was another 30 minutes to get another train to head BACK to Yankee Stadium. Unreal.

I was fuming by the time I finally got to the ballyard, but there was one silverlining to all the inconveniencing. Taking the train past Yankee Stadium afforded us No. 4 hostages a sweet look into the new Yankee Stadium, which is going up very fast. Minus seats, it looked like most of the stands were complete and I had a nice view of the pressbox I'll be sitting in someday.

I did eventually get to the "old" Yankee Stadium, where the Blue Jays were working out this afternoon. The Jays have already submitted their 25-man roster for Opening Day, but the club is still going to wait until game time on Monday to see if Matt Stairs will be available to play. There's a chance, if he can't go, that the club will be one man short for the first game.

If Stairs (left hip flexor) is in need of a 15-day disabled list stint, manager John Gibbons said infielder Joe Inglett would be the likely callup to fill the roster spot. Gibbons added that Rod Barajas' right shoulder was feeling better, though the catcher was wearing a hefty ice pack on said arm after the workout. Not surprising, no, but worth mentioning.

Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi gave us the daily Alex Rios Contract Extension Update, which basically was that there was no update. The deadline for finalizing the six-year, $65 million deal remains up until game time. Ricciardi did note, however, that contract talks with Aaron Hill will be postponed until next offseason. If Rios doesn't give the go-ahead before the first pitch, it'll be the same wait til' next year deal with his deal.

That's about it for the first workout happenings. I did chat with Randy Wells for a bit and he made sure to tour Monument Park in center field and took some pictures there after showing up at the park. That's the first thing I did when I visited Yankee Stadium for the first time.

I showed up extra early, when it was just me and a guy watering the field in the ballpark, and I went to see the monuments. One of my favorite parts of this job is being in a stadium when there is no one there. Not a lot of people get to experience that.

Heading out to P.J. Clarke's for some dinner and perhaps a brew. I'll catch you all from Opening Day tomorrow.

TORONTO -- Checking in briefly from my pad here back in TO. Just browsed the Star's baseball blog, where Cathal Kelly has an item about Jays manager John Gibbons telling the scribes on hand what Toronto's Opening Day lineup will look like.

March 31 vs. Yanks RHP Chien-Ming Wang:

1. David Eckstein, SS
2. Matt Stairs, LF
3. Alex Rios, RF
4. Vernon Wells, CF
5. Frank Thomas, DH
6. Lyle Overbay, 1B
7. Aaron Hill, 2B
8. Marco Scutaro, 3B
9. Gregg Zaun, C

Obviously, the only change could be with Matt Stairs, who has been nursing a sore hip. If he's unable to start, Shannon Stewart will slot into the No. 2 spot. Against lefties, Hill and Overbay will apparently switch spots in the order.

Kelly, as well as the Globe's Rob MacLeod, also point to an item in the Wall Stareet Journal that has Gibby ranked as the sixth-best manager in baseball. Gibby should print that out and use it for negotiation purposes when/if it comes time to talk extension.

OK, going to watch the No Country for Old Men DVD I just bought and getting geared up for Michigan State's Sweet 16 game againt Memphis tonight.

Later all...

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- One final blog entry for 2008 Spring Training. After this, it's off to bed for a quick bit of sleep before I get up in a few hours to catch a flight back to Toronto. Come Saturday night, I'll be in the Big Apple gearing up for Opening Day.

Spring didn't go exactly as the Jays would've hoped. Losing Casey Janssen (torn labrum) was a big blow to the pitching staff, having Scott Rolen (broken finger) possibly sidelined until May hurt the lineup and B.J. Ryan (coming back from Tommy John) wasn't able to meet his goal of breaking camp with the club.

The offense didn't look fantastic, but Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay and Aaron Hill jump out as guys who did look great at the plate this spring. In Grapefruit League play, Toronto finished 11-16, but it's worth noting that in 1992 and 1993 (the Jays' two World Series title seasons) the team posted 13-18 and 11-19 spring marks, respectively.

"You can throw our record out the window," Jays manager John Gibbons said on Thursday. "I think you can do that. We saw a lot of good things. We're banged up more than we would've hoped, that's for sure, but overall I saw a lot of good individual things, though our record doesn't indicate that."

So Toronto heads north with a slightly bruised roster, but as of right now, the injuries -- aside from Janssen's -- don't appear to be major blows. It's possible that Ryan is back by mid April, which would be a boost to the bullpen, and in a perfect world, Rolen could be back in April, too (seems unlikely, though).

The only real question mark I see right now, besides the obvious wait-and-see with the offense, is a lack of depth behind the starting rotation. Roy Halladay, A.J. Burnett, Dustin McGowan, Shaun Marcum and Jesse Litsch are a formidable five, but the depth chart is rather thin behind that group. Toronto is one pitching injury away from uncertainty and the Jays are pinning a lot of hopes on repeat showings from the M&M boys and Litsch, as well as full seasons from Doc and A.J.

This should be an interesting year for the Jays. They look like a club that could either seriously contend for a playoff spot or just float to another near .500 finish. One thing is for sure, if the Jays get off to a slow start, there could be some decision-makers who find themselves on the hot seat pretty quick. But let's not put the cart ahead of the horse -- as pitching coach Brad Arnsberg loves to say. Let's just get this thing rolling. Enough of this spring stuff...

Catch up with you from Yankee Stadium in a few days. So long, Florida.

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Quick update on Scott Rolen, who just held court with us scribes in the classroom down in the Jays' clubhouse a few minutes ago. Rolen said that he was told by his doctors that he would likely miss 4-6 weeks from the date the operation took place.

So, my writing the other day that he could potentially miss the season's first month seems about right. Rolen is scheduled to have the pin removed from his finger on April 7 and it's unclear how much time he'll miss after that. He said the doctors believe throwing will be the main issue after having the pin removed, considering his right middle finger is integral to making strong throws.

Rolen did not, however, lose his fingernail. Apparently, Rolen thought he was going to lose the nail at first because it looked like it was bent at a 45 degree angle. It turned out that it was actually the broken tip of his finger that was bent at a 45 degree angle. Ouch.

The freak accident happened on a line drive hit to Rolen during fielding drills. Rolen thought the low liner was going to be played like a short hop and the ball didn't drop, drilling his finger at an unfortunate angle. When asked if bench coach Brian Butterfield was the culprit behind the line drive, Rolen smiled and joked:

"No, it wasn't Butter. It was @!&#&@$ Butter."

I'll have more on this on bluejays.com in a while.

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- I'm leaving on a jet plane tomorrow morning, heading back to Toronto for a day before scooting over to New York for the season opener. Until that moment arrives, I'm here in Florida gathering up some Spring Training bits for one final day.

This morning, manager John Gibbons let us know that Matt Stairs (hasn't had an at-bat since March 20th) is nursing a sore hips. He was over at a Minors game today to get some at-bats. Having him play there is a precautionary way for the Jays to guard against possibly having to DL Stairs.

If Stairs opens on the DL, the Jays could backdate his stint to his last game appearance. Gibbons was quick to point out that there had been exactly zero discussion about putting Stairs on the DL. And judging by his recent BP showings, I think it's doubtful he's going to the DL, too.

Gibby also noted that he's going to use the left-field platoon guys (Stairs/Stewart) in the second spot of the batting order. B.J. Ryan threw a bullpen session today and Scott Rolen was back in camp. We're still waiting to talk to Rolen, who will likely give us the finger at some point during the interview.

More spring recap later. For now...

Today's lineups:

HOUSTON (12-16-1) at TORONTO (10-16)
at 1:05 p.m. ET at Knology Park

ASTROS
Michael Bourn, CF
Hunter Pence, RF
Darin Erstad, 1B
Ty Wigginton, 3B
Jose Cruz Jr., LF
Mark Loretta, DH
David Newhan, 2B
Tomas Perez, SS
Humberto Quintero, C

PITCHING: Brandon Backe

BLUE JAYS
David Eckstein, SS
Shannon Stewart, LF
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Frank Thomas, DH
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Aaron Hill, 2B
Marco Scutaro, 3B
Rod Barajas, C

PITCHING: Dustin McGowan

Farewell, Knology Park. It's been real.

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Nice night for a game here at Knology Park, where manager John Gibbons informed us this evening that the Jays had set their roster. No official transactions yet, but reliever Randy Wells and outfielder Buck Coats have won the two vacant spots.

So, barring injury, here is the Opening Day roster:

STARTERS
Roy Halladay, A.J. Burnett, Dustin McGowan, Shaun Marcum, Jesse Litsh

RELIEVERS
Jeremy Accardo, Scott Downs, Brandon League, Jason Frasor, Brian Wolfe, Brian Tallet, Randy Wells

INFIELDERS
Lyle Overbay, Aaron Hill, David Eckstein, Marco Scutato, John McDonald

OUTFIELDERS
Alex Rios, Vernon Wells, Matt Stairs, Shannon Stewart, Buck Coats

CATCHERS
Gregg Zaun, Rod Barajas

DESIGNATED HITTER
Frank Thomas

Scott Rolen and B.J. Ryan figure to open the year on the DL and the lot of reliever who were in the mix for jobs are ticketed for Triple-A. The decision for the final bullpen spot came down to either Wells or Jesse Carlson, according to GM J.P. Ricciardi.

Ricciardi also added that there's no update on the contract talks with Rios. The Jays have also not yet obtained the proper working visa for Armando Benitez, so he'll be headed to the Minors to begin the year. Ricciardi aid Benitez has an opt out in his contract that he can exercise on May 1 if he chooses to do so.

Today's lineups:

CINCINNATI (14-14) at TORONTO (9-16)
at 7:05 p.m. ET at Knology Park

REDS
Ryan Freel, CF
Jeff Keppinger, SS
Scott Hatteberg, 1B
Joey Votto, DH
Jolbert Cabrera, LF
Andy Phillips, 3B
Jerry Hairston Jr., RF
Andy Green, 2B
David Ross, C

PITCHING: RHP Aaron Harang

BLUE JAYS
David Eckstein, SS
Shannon Stewart, LF
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Frank Thomas, DH
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Aaron Hill, 2B
Marco Scutaro, 3B
Gregg Zaun, C

PITCHING: RHP Jesse Litsch

*Thanks goes to burgess for pointing out that I didn't include the DH in today's lineup for the Jays. And judging by watching Stairs launch homer after homer in BP this evening, he's doing just fine. Not sure why he hasn't been in the lineup. Could just be resting "some nagging stuff" like Zaun was this past week

More later...

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- While us scribes circled Alex Rios to discuss the extension he's apparently near signing, catcher Rod Barajas stood in the background, sporting a wide smile and flipping through a wad of hundred dollar bills.

Rios indicated that the online report that has the figures at six-years, roughly $65 million, with an option for 2015 that could push it to around $80 million, was accurate. He also told me he expected the deal be be finalized in the next few days.

Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi didn't make it sound like he was any closer to signing Rios than he was yesterday. He said the deal was not done, Rios concurred, and Ricciardi reiterated that there's a "deadline" for getting the contract done before the first regular season game. I'll have more on bluejays.com on this in a bit.

Other notes: The Blue Jays granted catcher Sal Fasano his unconditional release. ... Catcher Gregg Zaun is nursing a sore right hamstring. ... United States Immigration apparently lost Armando Benitez's paperwork and the Blue Jays have to resubmit the application to obtain a proper working visa for the pitcher. ... Word is that Reed Johnson is close to signing with the Cubs.

QUOTABLE: I was standing by Frank Thomas this morning, watching the Red Sox-A's game in the clubhouse. There were some players down the hallway, watching the game inside the weight room. We could hear those guys react to a play before we saw it happen on our TV. I said to Hurt, "Those guys must have more of a live feed than we do." He quipped: "What, they're closer to Japan?" Nice.

Today's lineups:

TAMPA BAY (16-5-2) at TORONTO (9-15)
at 1:05 p.m. ET at Knology Park

RAYS
Elliot Johnson, SS
Carl Crawford, LF
Carlos Pena, 1B
B.J. Upton, CF
Cliff Floyd, DH
Eric Hinske, 3B
Jonny Gomes, RF
Dioner Navarro, C
Andy Cannizaro, 2B

PITCHING: Jason Hammel

BLUE JAYS
Shannon Stewart, LF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Alex Rios, RF
Frank Thomas, DH
Rod Barajas, C
Hector Luna, 3B
Buck Coats, CF
John McDonald, SS
John Tolisano, 2B

PITCHING: Roy Halladay

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Blue Jays manager John Gibbons confirmed this evening that closer B.J. Ryan and third baseman Scott Rolen will not break camp with the team. Rolen is out for at least a couple weeks and Ryan won't be available until at least mid April.

Rolen suffered a non-displaced fracture of his right middle finger during a fielding drill on Sunday and had surgery to insert a pin in the finger. Rolen also lost the finger nail, so he can't throw a baseball for the time being. After two weeks, Rolen will have the pin removed, but it'll take more time for him to come back.

Ryan will remain in Florida and build up to the point where he can at least pitch every other day. Gibbons said the Jays would consider bringing him up before he could go on consecutive days. For now, Scott Downs is the primary setup man. Looks like both Rolen and Ryan are headed to the disabled list.

Some other little notes: Shaun Marcum is appearing second today for the Jays. LHP Jesse Carlson, who is in the mix for a bullpen job, is starting so he can face Cincy's A hitters. ... With Rolen out, Gibbons said OF Buck Coats could snag the last roster spot for Toronto. ... C Gregg Zaun didn't make the trip, because there's no DH for today's game. Catching prospect Brian Jeroloman is behind the dish.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (9-14) at CINCINNATI (12-14-1)
at 7:05 p.m. ET at Ed Smith Stadium

BLUE JAYS
David Eckstein, SS
Buck Coats, LF
Aaron Hill, 2B
Vernon Wells, CF
Marco Scutaro, 3B
Matt Watson, RF
Chip Cannon, 1B
Brian Jeroloman, C
Jesse Carlson, P

REDS
Corey Patterson, CF
Jeff Keppinger, SS
Ken Griffey Jr., RF
Brandon Phillips, 2B
Adam Dunn, LF
Edwin Encarnacion, 3B
Scott Hatteberg, 1B
Chris Kroski, C
Homer Bailey, P

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Only a few items remained in the near-empty locker that sat behind where Reed Johnson stood. The outfielder spent Sunday morning packing up his belongings at Knology Park after learning that he had been released by the Blue Jays.

The news didn't come as a shock for Johnson, who had prepped himself for a change of scenery every since Toronto brought veteran outfielder Shannon Stewart into camp on a Minor League contract in February. There wasn't going to be room on the roster for both players, so Johnson understood the odds.

"I prepared myself for it," Johnson said. "In my mind, I've been released a couple times already. Once we signed Stew, it was one of those situations where the two of us, I think, we're prepared for either a release or a trade."

Since Johnson was given his unconditional release, the Blue Jays are only responsible for roughly $500,000 of the $3.275 million he was scheduled to make in 2008. When Stewart is transferred to Toronto's 25-man roster, his salary will rise to $1.5 million, with the potential to earn another $250,000 in performance bonuses this season.

Check bluejays.com for more in a bit. Heading back down to the clubhouse...

Today's lineups:

PHILADELPHIA (10-13-1) at TORONTO (9-13)
at 1:05 p.m. ET at Knology Park

PHILLIES
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Shane Victorino, CF
Chase Utley, 2B
Ryan Howard, DH
Chris Snelling, LF
Geoff Jenkins, RF
Pedro Feliz, 3B
Eric Bruntlett, 1B
Carlos Ruiz, C

PITCHING: LHP Cole Hamels

BLUE JAYS
David Eckstein, SS
Shannon Stewart, LF
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Frank Thomas, DH
Aaron Hill, 2B
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Marco Scutaro, 3B
Rod Barajas, C

PITCHING: RHP A.J. Burnett

Happy Easter everyone.

UPDATE: From talking with GM J.P. Ricciardi this morning, it was clear that the Jays tried and would've preferred to trade Reed Johnson rather than just release him. The problem was, teams still had concerns about Johnson's health. ... Ricciardi also came as close as he was willing to come to saying Randy Wells was on the roster. Ricciardi said the Jays didn't want to risk losing guys (meaning via Rule 5 rules, option issues, waivers), so based on that, it looks like the bullpen on Opening Day will include: Jeremy Accardo, Scott Downs, Brandon League, Brian Tallet, Jason Frasor, Brian Wolfe and Randy Wells.

TAMPA -- Blue Jays manager John Gibbons doesn't worry about his players' contracts or what is or is not included in them. As far as Gibbons is concerned, he's responsible for the daily lineup card and general manager J.P. Ricciardi can handle the paperwork.

"That's his department. I don't get involved in that contract stuff. I don't want to know about any of that stuff," Gibbons said.

When it comes to veteran slugger Frank Thomas' situation, though, Gibbons may have to start taking contract issues into consideration this year. When asked if he wanted to know how many plate appearances Thomas needed to kick in a guaranteed $10 million salary for 2009, Gibbons laughed and replied, "No."

Well, the Big Hurt needs just 376 plate appearances this year to secure that double-digit salary for '09. His contract included a vesting option for the $10 mil that kicks in if Thomas reaches 1,000 PAs between 2007-08. He had 624 PAs last year -- his first with the Jays.

If Thomas has another slow start to the season, the Blue Jays may want to consider how close they want him to come to guaranteeing a third year in Toronto. Now, we're kind of getting ahead of ourselves here by even bringing the topic up, but it is something to at least keep in the back of our minds.

Gibbons isn't too worried about it right now.

"First of all, we expect him to hit," Gibbons said on Saturday. "That's the thing. I can't comment on it other than that. He's here to be our DH."

Gibbons wasn't shy about saying that Thomas hasn't had a good spring, though.

"No, he hasn't," Gibbons said. "His timing is off and he's a little off-balance at the plate, but from everything I've understood, from talking to other people, too, he never really has. Spring Training has never been his thing."

This spring, he's managed a .088 average, .118 slugging and .088 on-base for the Jays. Last season, Thomas hit .217 in the season's first 55 games, but he turned it on over the final 100, batting .308 over that span and winding up with a .277 mark with 26 homers and 95 RBIs when it was all said and done.

"We expect him to be in there every day producing. That's all I can bank on," Gibbons said.

This isn't really much of a story at this point, considering it's still Spring Training and we have yet to see what kind of start Thomas has in the season. Now, if Thomas' offense is struggling come May, that's when this plate appearances/$10 million 2009 salary thing will be more of an issue.

Hey, an injury could even stop Thomas from reaching that 376 figure -- who knows? Maybe we should just take it from Hurt himself. He's had slow starts throughout his career, so this spring slump is really nothing new. A slow April wouldn't be anything unfamiliar, either.

Even with all the slow starts, he's still a .300 career hitter.

"Things will take off," Thomas said recently. "Me? I'm not going to worry about anything, because I'm more of a timing guy. Once my timing is set, I'm set for the rest of the year. That's just the way I am. It just takes time to get going, but once it gets going it stays. It's been like that my whole career."

ON ANOTHER NOTE: Game here in Tampa today was canceled due to rain. Awh, maaaaan, now I HAVE to leave the ballpark and sit around and watch college basketball. Randy Wells had a solid, though brief, outing. Gibbons said the righty will probably pitch again on Monday. The relievers that didn't get into today's game -- John Parrish, Mike Gosling, Shawn Camp -- will have to get their work in a Minors game tomorrow. McGowan's line today: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 8 K, 1 BB vs. Triple-A Lehigh Valley (Phillies).

TAMPA -- Just got back from a pregame chat with Jays manager John Gibbons -- OK, I'm lying, I JUST got back from lunch, but we did talk with Gibby about a few items this morning.

Of note is the fact that Gibbons said the Jays should have their roster set before the team heads to Philadelphia for a pair of exhibition games (March 28-29). Gibbons added that a decision on whether to keep Shannon Stewart or Reed Johnson on the roster will probably be made in the next few days.

Gibbons said that a few teams had contacted the Jays about possible trade scenarios for either Johnson or Stewart, so that's one possibile way that the situation will be resolved. Toronto's manager said he felt it would be best for the two players to come to a decision soon.

Gibbons also said that he heard catcher Sal Fasano's comments about being unwilling to accept a Minor League assignment: "I heard that he said he wouldn't go to Triple-A. I can't blame him. I really couldn't. I mean, there's no playing time for him down there anyway. I'd love to see him get an opportunity somewhere else."

While the Jays are in Philly, Gibbons said pitchers A.J. Burnett and Shaun Marcum will remain in Florida to get some work in. Dustin McGowan pitched in a Minors game this morning, but there's still no word on how he did just yet. It's been sprinkling here, so we'll see how much of this game is squeezed in between the rain drops.

More later...

TAMPA -- So Ruts, Griff and I are the first three Toronto scribes to arrive here at Legends Field this morning. Actually, we're the only three guys sitting in the pressbox at the moment.

So, with plenty of seats open and available at this early hour, where do us three plop down? How about bunched together in a row, right behind a big section of wall divider between the pressbox windows. So I'm keeping an eye on the right side of the field, while Griff can keep an eye on the left side of the field. I'm not sure Ruts can see any of the diamond -- like he'd be watching anyway.

What a bunch of idiots we are.

"I have a perfect view of the first and third base coaches," Ruts just informed me.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (9-13) at NEW YORK (12-7-2)
at 1:15 p.m. ET at Legends Field

BLUE JAYS
David Eckstein, SS
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Frank Thomas, DH
Aaron Hill, 2B
Shannon Stewart, LF
Marco Scutaro, 1B
Rod Barajas, C

PITCHING: RHP Randy Wells, others

YANKEES
Johnny Damon, CF
Derek Jeter, SS
Bobby Abreu, RF
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Jason Giambi, 1B
Jorge Posada, C
Hideki Matsui, DH
Shelley Duncan, LF
Chris Woodward, 2B

PITCHING: RHP Jonathan Albaladejo, others

Dustin McGowan is pitching in a Minor League game today, furthering Toronto's efforts to hide their starters from the Yanks. New York is following suit, having Andy Pettitte pitch in a Minors game, too.

Word is that tomorrow's Jays' starter A.J. Burnett finally has that fake nail on his index finger. So we might get to see some curveballs in his outing against the Phillies on Sunday.

Don't foget to tune in tonight to cheer on my Michigan State Spartans against Pitt at 9:10 p.m. ET. I have a bad feeling that this could be the end of the road for the boys in green...let's hope not.

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Back here at lovely Joker Marchant Stadium for the final time this spring. Hard to believe wer'e in the home stretch here. At least on my end, this spring has flown by. Can't believe I board a plane outta Florida in one week.

This is where Spring Training began for Jesse Litsch, who was roughed up in his Grapefruit League debut here back in February. Litsch takes the hill here again, now as the clear favorite for the fifth starter's job. Still no official word, of course, but Litsch appears to be the guy.

Before I head down to look around for some pregame notes, here are...

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (8-13) at DETROIT (11-11-2)
at 1:05 p.m. ET at Joker Marchant Stadium

BLUE JAYS
Reed Johnson, CF
Shannon Stewart, LF
Alex Rios, RF
Rod Barajas, 1B
Matt Watson, DH
John McDonald, SS
Hector Luna, 3B
Sal Fasano, C
Ryan Klosterman, 2B

PITCHING: RHP Jesse Litsch

TIGERS
Curtis Granderson, CF
Ivan Rodriguez, C
Gary Sheffield, DH
Magglio Ordonez, RF
Miguel Cabrera, 3B
Carlos Guillen, 1B
Jacque Jones, LF
Ryan Raburn, 2B
Brandon Inge, SS

PITCHING: LHP Dontrelle Willis

Anybody's brackets jacked up after Day 1 of the tourney? I had USC and Georgia at least through to the second round -- ah, well. At least my Michigan State Spartans took down Temple! Pitt's going to be a tough second-round matchup, though. Go Green.

UPDATE -- 6:39 pm: Gonna admit, I'm not feeling a whole postgame blog post here today -- sorry guys. There's a long drive ahead and tourney basketball at the end of the rainbow. I will say that Reed Johnson and Shannon Stewart had some good things to say today about their left-field battle and Sal Fasano talked some about his situation. B.J. Ryan threw on a mound as well and Litsch looked great -- sans two mistakes -- against the Tiggers. For all the info, check bluejays.com in a bit for the stories I just filed. Catch you tomorrow from Tampa...

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The Blue Jays have decided to hold closer B.J. Ryan out of spring games for the time being. Ryan experienced some minor soress -- nothing more than normal fatigue, according to GM J.P. Ricciardi -- after his last outing and Toronto wants to take a cautious approach with his comeback.

Ricciardi said Ryan will continue to throw on flat ground, but there's no indication as to when he might appear in another spring game. With less than two weeks remaining in camp, it's looking more and more doubtful that Ryan is going to break with the team.

"We're not going to take him unless he can be B.J.," Ricciardi said, "where we use him three or four times a week. If he can't do that, then we'll just let him stay down here, let him keep pitching and eventually he'll be ready at some point. When he's ready, we'll take him."

"For us to sit here and say he was going to be here on Opening Day," he added later, "we never threw that date out there and I don't think it was fair to him to throw that date out there. I think it's important that he just keeps getting better and he feels good."

Talked to Ryan and he indicated that the soreness was in his left forearm and biceps -- not near where he had surgery. He also said that he felt it'd be "selfish" to rejoin the bullpen if he couldn't pitch at least every other day. I say he doesn't leave Florida with the team. We'll see what happens.

Today's lineups:

NEW YORK (10-7-2) at TORONTO (8-12)
at 1:05 p.m. ET at Knology Park

YANKEES
Johnny Damon, LF
Melky Cabrera, CF
Robinson Cano, 2B
Hideki Matsui, DH
Shelley Duncan, RF
Wilson Betemit, 1B
Cody Ransom, SS
Jose Molina, C
Nick Green, 3B

PITCHING: RHP Ian Kennedy

BLUE JAYS
David Eckstein, SS
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Frank Thomas, DH
Matt Stairs, LF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Aaron Hill, 2B
Gregg Zaun, C

PITCHING: RHP Kane Davis, LHP Brett Cecil, RHP Brandon League, RHP Jeremy Accardo, RHP Jason Frasor, RHP Brian Wolfe

CONGRATS: Former Jays second baseman Roberto Alomar was elevated to the club's Level of Excellence on Thursday and, in a conference call with the media, Alomar said, should he be voted into the Hall of Fame, he'd want to go in with a Toronto hat on his plaque.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- For those keeping track at home, Jays manager John Gibbons has now issued two official votes of confidence for relievers this spring. Of course, it's all talk until that final Opening Day roster is announced.

Much like he did a couple weeks ago for RHP Jason Frasor, though, Gibbons declared that LHP Brian Tallet's place in Toronto's bullpen was secure. Counting shoo-ins RHP Jeremy Accardo and LHP Scott Downs, that narrows the race down to three vacant slots.

I say three because, while I'm assuming RHP Brandon League is a lock, especially now that RHP Casey Janssen is done for the year, I won't consider him thus until the Blue Jays say so. I'm also sticking with three because, while LHP B.J. Ryan has stormed back in his attempt to return from an elbow injury in time for Opening Day, I'm not buying it 100 percent that he does in fact break with the team.

So, that's three spots in a seven-man bullpen -- both Gibbons and GM J.P. Ricciardi have indicated that's the makeup -- up for grabs between Ryan, League, LHP John Parrish, RHP Randy Wells, RHP Brian Wolfe, and RHP Armando Benitez. So let's get right to it.

The Jays have been high on Parrish all spring, even considering him as a starter briefly not long ago. Now, the Jays like him as a long man, or a guy who can come in and go after lefties. Basically, Parrish could help out in case Downs has to pitch more in the eighth on days Accardo fills in as the closer (Gibby insists Ryan won't go back-to-back in the first month).

From talking with Gibbons, if Ryan doesn't make the cut, it almost seems a given that Parrish makes it. If Ryan does, Gibbons said he still likes the idea of having four lefties in the 'pen to help out against the tough lefty hitters in the American League -- East especially.

Among the righties, Wolfe hasn't been discussed too much, so I'm not sure how high he is on the list of candidates. Right now, just simply from names being tossed around, I'd say the Jays are leaning more toward League and Wells. Remember, Wells is a Rule 5 pick, and would be likely be lost to the Cubs if he doesn't make the Jays.

There's also Benitez, who Frank Thomas says "is ready! wow!" Thomas' opinion aside, Benitez doesn't have a proper work visa yet and there's no indication about when he might appear in his first Grapefruit League game. That being the case, I just don't know how realistic it is -- with less than two weeks left in the spring slate -- for him to break with the club.

If the Jays open the year without Ryan in the fold, they could afford to take a chance with Wells, because Wolfe has options and can be sent down. If Ryan is in the bullpen come Opening Day, I don't see how Wells or Wolfe make the cut.

So here's my thoughts on it right now:

WITHOUT RYAN:

Accardo, Downs, Tallet, Frasor, League, Parrish, Wells

WITH RYAN:

Ryan, Accardo, Downs, Tallet, Frasor, League, Parrish

ON ANOTHER NOTE: Gibbons had a great quote about the pregame standoff between the Red Sox players, the MLB Players' Association and MLB. Gibbons said he was actually happy to see players stand up for their coaches -- that the minor "strike" could only be beneficial in the long run:

"You don't expect to see that, but I was kind of glad it happened and I was kind of impressed with those guys. Not only are they a very talented team, they've got something special over there. That's a team. They stuck their necks out for the coaching staff -- those guys they admire and stand by --- and that helps us all. There's only two teams that can get away with that: Boston and New York. That's good to see."

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- No word on whether this game between the Red Sox and Jays is going to actually be played. Word quickly swept through the park that Boston's players were going to boycott the game -- possibly the trip to Japan even -- after word that the coaches and staff members weren't being given shares for the journey overseas.

The players from the Red Sox and A's are receiving $40K each for the Japan tour, but apparently the coaches are not getting any flow. That wasn't the case in 2004, when the Yankees and Devil Rays had Opening Day in Japan. Prior to the game, Jays team rep Vernon Wells met with Boston's Kevin Youkilis to talk about the matter.

"They're looking out for their coaches and the staff and the manager," Wells said. "That's part of baseball, looking out for each other. When the Yankees and Devil Rays took their trip, everybody got their share and everybody was happy. You just have to treat everybody the same no matter what your label is.

"With the World Series shares, everybody gets the same thing. This should be no different. Obviously, they're trying to take a stand and they're going to make it known that it's not fair to those guys. We'll see what happens."

At exactly 12:08 p.m. ET, the PA announcer here at City of Palms Park had this to say: "The game today is delayed because of a dispute between the Boston Red Sox players and the Major League Baseball Players' Association and Major League Baseball..." At that, the fans here erupted in a hearty chorus of boos.

If the issue isn't resolved by 12:30, the Red Sox said they'd come out and sign autographs for fans down both the first- and third-base lines. From my seat in the pressbox, I can see Wells in the dugout without a uniform on yet. He's the third guy due up. Hmmmm.

Stay tuned for more...

UPDATE -- 12:51: First pitch has been scheduled 1:10 and the Red Sox starter will be David Aardsma. Dice-K has moved over to the Minor League complex and will make his start there. No word on what kind of resolution was made here, but looks like it's game on.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (7-12) at BOSTON (7-12)
at 1:10 p.m. ET at City of Palms Park

BLUE JAYS
David Eckstein, SS
Shannon Stewart, DH
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Aaron Hill, 2B
Gregg Zaun, C
Reed Johnson, LF

PITCHING: LHP Brian Tallet, LHP John Parrish, RHP Randy Wells, others

RED SOX
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
David Ortiz, DH
Jacoby Ellsbury, LF
Mike Lowell, 3B
J.D. Drew, RF
Kevin Cash, C
Coco Crisp, CF
Julio Lugo, SS

PITCHING: RHP David Aardsma

NOTES: Reports are that LHP B.J. Ryan felt fine during his normal throwing routine (flat ground, long toss) on Tuesday and felt fine today. Still, manager John Gibbons and bullpen coach Bruce Walton couldn't confirm if Ryan was scheduled to pitch as scheduled on Thursday. ... RHP Armando Benitez is barred from pitching in a Grapefruit League game until he obtains a proper working visa. No word on when that might be. ... RHP Casey Janssen underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder on Tuesday and a team spokesman said the operation was a success.

QUOTABLE: During the lengthy delay during the little labor dispute this morning/afternoon, and no word if there was going to be a game or not, Red Sox staffers began tossing out foam fingers to appease the fans. "They're giving the fans the finger," quipped Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- I'm currently watching the sun rise over the right-field bleachers here at lovely City of Palms Park. It's a little before 8 a.m. and I'm one of the only dedicated scribes in the pressbox -- the only Jays writer here at the moment.

Normally, I wouldn't be at the yard until around 9 or 10ish for a noon spring game like this, but I had to act as chauffeur for MLB.com's Red Sox beat guy Ian Browne, since he has some flight to Japan or something after the game and had to turn in his rental car yesterday.

Since he had to be here at around 7:30 this morning, I volunteered to give him a ride and now I'm just killing time in the pressbox. I crashed at Brownie's pad last night after dining with the enemy. Some Boston writers, myself, Brownie and MLB.com's Kelly Thesier (Twins writer and member of the Michigan State Mafia -- a former classmate of mine, at that) got together at a killer Mexican joint in town.

My "shameless plug" is for Brownie's new book: Dice-K -- The First Season of the Red Sox $100 Million Man. Why the plug? Well, because if it's written by Browne, it's sure to be a good read, and because the man was kind enough to present me with my very own autographed copy when I arrived at his place last night.

First and foremost, though, I think it's only fair for me to point out that his introduction in the book, detailing Matsuzaka's reaction after a poor showing in an October 15 outing against the Indians in the ALCS last year, was based around the hard work of yours truly, who was down in the trenches of the Jacobs Field clubhouse that night.

When I flipped open to the dedication page, I was hoping for a "To Jordan Bastian. Without his intrepid reporting during the 2007 playoffs, this book would not have been possible." Alas, no such luck. Ah, well. I mean, Brownie WAS there that night at Fenway and DID sort of do some of his own legwork for the book. Maybe next time...

The Jays haven't arrived here yet and probably won't for another hour or so. So no lineups just yet. Casey Janssen was set to undergo surgery on his right shoulder either today or yesterday -- we'll find out about that today. Most of the "A" squad should be here for today's game, but Shaun Marcum will be back in Dunedin starting in a Minor League tilt. Gotta keep him hidden.

More later...

BRADENTON, Fla. -- I like to think that the green hats being worn by the Pirates and the green bases here at McKechnie Field are a tribute to my Spartans earning a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tourney.

When we weren't planning where the late-night drinks were to be had on this St. Patty's Day, us scribes did manage to squeeze in some baseball talk with manager John Gibbons. A lot of the pregame banter focused on A.J. Burnett, who was today's starter.

Gibbons noted that last time out Burnett started using a slider that he's been tinkering with. It's a pitch that might be used early in the season if Burnett's right index fingernail hasn't grown in enough to let him use his curveball.

"He's never thrown that," Gibbons said. "He started tinkering with it last week and he threw some in the game the other day. I always thought it'd be a good pitch for him anyway. Once he gets his curveball back, that's something he could flip over to get ahead. It'd be easier for him to control."

Gibbons also noted that today's lineup isn't necessarily the one he's going to use this season. He said he's still debating about whether or not to use lefties Matt Stairs and Lyle Overbay consecutively in the Nos. 6-7 spots (the variation of today's order that he used the other day). Overbay has hit lefties well over his career, but having lefties back to back could help opposing teams late in games, when lefty specialist pitchers come into play.

Gibbons did not that he does like how using Scott Rolen in the four hole ahead of Frank Thomas adds more speed to the top of the order, but just because he's tested it out in a few games doesn't necessarily mean Thomas isn't the cleanup hitter.

"Just because we're hitting him fifth doesnt mean we're going to hit him fifth. You could put Rolen up there [in the No. 4 spot]. Rolen's one of the better baserunners in the game and that can keep that thing churning pretty good up top," Gibbons said.

Other tidbits:

• Gibby said that the Jays still plan on bringing most of their regulars to Fort Myers on Wednesday for the ESPN televised Noon game against the Red Sox. Shaun Marcum will stay back in Dunedin for a Minors game, though
• Reliever Armando Benitez is down for a live BP on Tuesday, and his first game appearance could be against the Yanks on Thursday. GM J.P. Ricciardi noted this week that top pitching prospect Brett Cecil might make an appearance in that game, too.
• Gibbons reiterated again this morning that B.J. Ryan (making his second Grapefruit League appearance on Monday) probably wouldn't pitch in back to back games in April, if he breaks with the team. That'll create some save opps for setup man Jeremy Accardo. On days when Accardo is the closer, Scott Downs would be the primary setup man. Brandon League could figure into the mix, too.
• Gotta love Thomas this spring. During batting practice, the Big Hurt grabbed a glove and stood at third base, bobbing his head up and down while he listened to tunes on his iPod. He kept the earbuds in with a helmet on when he took BP, too.
• Some movement...Jays claimed LHP Bill Murphy off waivers from Arizona and placed Casey Janssen (torn labrum) on the 60-day disabled list. Murphy has some limited big-league experience and has bounced around a few organizations.

More later...

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Happy St. Patty's Day everyone. The Pirates are currently running through some bunt drills down on the field, wearing bright green hats in honor of today's holiday.

Had a fun drive here this morning. When I got to the huge Sunshine Skyway Bridge and saw the "Last exit before toll bridge" sign, I realized I didn't have any cash on me and only 75 cents in the cupholder. So, I had to exit and after about 4-5 miles of crawling through schools zones at 15 mph, I finally spotted a gas station where I could hit up the ATM.

So, I arrived at lovely McKechnie Field about 45 minutes behind when I would've been here otherwise. No worries, though, the Blue Jays team bus got here the same time I did -- I had to stop to let Vernon Wells and Rod Barajas cross the street. Before I head down to the clubhouse for the beginning of the daily grind, here are...

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (7-11) at PITTSBURGH (6-12)
at 1:05 p.m. ET at McKechnie Field

BLUE JAYS
David Eckstein, SS
Alex RIos, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Frank Thomas, DH
Shannon Stewart, LF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Aaron Hill, 2B
Gregg Zaun, C

PITCHING: RHP A.J. Burnett, LHP B.J. Ryan, RHP Brandon League, RHP Jeremy Accardo, RHP Lance Carter

PIRATES
Nate McLouth, CF
Jack Wilson, SS
Freddy Sanchez, DH
Jason Bay, LF
Adam LaRoche, 1B
Xavier Nady, RF
Ronny Paulino, C
Jose Bautista, 3B
Luis Rivas, 3B

PITCHING: LHP Zach Duke

There's that same Toronto lineup that Gibbons used the other day. The only difference is that Stewart is in the six hole instead of Matt Stairs. Could this be the vs. LHP lineup? I think this is the order Gibby is leaning toward using. We'll see come Opening Day.

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- An Arnold reference there in honor of today's events at Knology Park. After a light, breezy, Spring Trainingy workout at the Jays' home ballpark -- miles away from where the "B" squad was taking on the Twins in Fort Myers -- Alex Rios came out of the clubhouse with a gasoline-powered, remote-control, four-foot long helicopter.

Rios and Jeremy Accardo set the thing up in the warning track in right field and Rios manned the controls, taking the helicopter for a spin around the park. When they were setting it up, Aaron Hill and David Eckstein headed up to the pitchers deck behind the right-field wall to watch -- safely behind netting.

"It's a little dangerous down there," said Hill, when Lyle Overbay walked out and gave a look of curiousity as to why the middle infielders were watching from above.

Shawn Camp came out to run some laps along the warning track and stopped when he saw the players setting up the helicopter.

"Jeremy, am I going to be in the hot zone running here?" Camp asked.

"You know he's going to chase you with that thing," Hill quipped.

Rios flew the chopper for a bit, making it climb high, dive quick, nearly do a flip and steering it near the light towers, giving the local ospreys a scare. Roy Halladay -- known flying remote control helicopters and planes inside the Rogers Centre -- manned the controls for a bit and took the thing a lot higher than Rios was willing to go.

Rios started this hobby in November and has three such helicopters now -- two smaller than the one he brought out on Sunday. He said the large one ran him about $2,300 and he noted that Halladay's helicopter is even bigger.

Oh, baseball, right. They did have a workout thingy today, too, where players played catch, took batting practice and did some fielding work. Reliever Armando Benitez also threw for roughly 10 minutes in the bullpen and is scheduled to throw a live BP session on Tuesday before the Jays begin working him into a game.

Frank Thomas stood in as a mock batter for Benitez's session and he walked away very impressed with the life on the pitcher's slider, splitter and sinker.

"I'm telling you guys," Thomas said as he walked back on the field, "he's ready to go. It's the same guy I've seen over the years. I thought he was behind. Wow."

Later, in the clubhouse, Thomas expanded, saying, "If we can keep Armando healthy, he's going to be someone who can surprise a lot of people. He's hungry right now and he's a little frustrated with the system, closing in on 300 saves and he doesn't have a job. He's always been one of those guys that pitch well under pressure and that adds something to this team."

Bullpen coach Bruce Walton didn't have a radar gun on Benitez, but simply from his years of experience, Pappy estimated that the pitcher was hitting around 91-92 mph. I stood behind the bullpen for the session and was especially impressed with the late movement on his sinker.

I talked to Thomas some about the hitting slump he's going through this spring and you can read that feature later today on bluejays.com. Here's a few leftover quotes that didn't make the cut:

"Right now, I just feel a little off. I'm a little jumpy. I just haven't hit enough balls in the sweet spot. Guys have predominantly stayed out of the zone, so it's been tough. But I've been through this plenty of times in the spring. I just take it for what it's worth. You take your at-bats and try to get your timing right, because that's all I can do right now.

"For me, right now, yeah, I'm not happy. I'm not getting any hits, but you're going to have those periods. It's Spring Training and once the lights turn on it's a different ballgame and I have to be prepared like I'm always prepared."

Players heading to Bradenton for tomorrow's tilt against the Pirates include: Thomas, Rios, Hill, Eckstein, Overbay, Zaun, Barajas, John McDonald, Scott Rolen, Marco Scutaro, Reed Johnson, Vernon Wells, Matt Stairs, Shannon Stewart, Jeremy Accardo, Brandon League, B.J. Ryan and A.J. Burnett, among others.

Catch you all tomorrow.

CLEARWATER, FLa. -- You will not be hearing from yours truly from Fort Myers tomorrow. I have a running joke with our MLB.com Twins writer, Kelly Thesier -- a former classmate of mine at Michigan State -- that I'm boycotting all Toronto-Minnesota games on the road.

In three years on the beat, I have never been to Fort Myers during Spring Training and I've only been to Minnesota once -- during the 2006 season. I missed Frank Thomas' 500th homer in Minny a year ago and I won't be making the trek to the twin cities this season because I have to stand up in a wedding. Go figure.

But, I'll be at Knology Park bright and early tomorrow morning to hang out at Toronto's workout for the A squad. Toronto's bringing a real thin group to Fort Myers.

"I think you're playing left field. You better check the lineup tomorrow," quipped Ricciardi, talking to The Star's Richard Griffin.

Only Rod Barajas, Marco Scutaro, Reed Johnson and John McDonald had their names circled on the travel sheet. Poor Johnny Mac, I think he's made every spring road trip for the past two years. Seems like it anyway.

I could be in bed right now, but I'm still winding down from sippin' on a few Killians and listening to some terrrrrrible karaoke at a local sports bar. So, as promised earlier today, I'll hit on a few of the topics that GM J.P. Ricciardi talked about today at the ball yard.

ROTATION: Ricciardi still won't come out and say that Jesse Litsch will be the fifth starter, but he came pretty darn close to saying it today with this comment: "We've got five starters at the Major League level. So we're pretty well set there." Soooo, that's Roy Halladay, A.J. Burnett, Dustin McGowan, Shaun Marcum and...well, Litsch. Ricciardi said the Jays are stretching out Josh Banks, David Purcey and Kane Davis, and Double-A pitchers Brett Cecil, Ricky Romero and Brandon Magee are on the club's radar. The Jays are still pursuing potential trades, but there's not enough flow available for a free-agent addition.

LEFT FIELD: When asked about the left field situation, Ricciardi said it'll probably come down to whether Toronto skip John Gibbons is more comfortable with Reed Johnson or Shannon Stewart. That'd make you think Johnson is in the running, but with his next breath, Ricciardi said the Jays would probably wan't to go with the best offensive club they can put together. Given how Ricciardi has pumped up Stewart's offensive abilities, that sentiment would seem to point to him as the favorite for the job.

GIBBONS: Ricciardi was also asked about Gibbons being in the final year of his contract. The GM instantly issued great praise for the skipper, saying "I think Gibby will manage here a long time. All of us, at one point or another, are in the last year of our contract. Gibby knows he's in good standing here. We like him a lot and the players like him." Right after that, one reporter asked why, if that's really the case, was Gibbons not offered an extension. Ricciardi switched gears by saying, "Well, we'll see. We'll see how the year goes. We've got some expectations this year -- like we've had in the past. We'll see how they play out."

OTHER TIDBITS: Other items of interest included Ricciardi indicating that closer B.J. Ryan felt great one day after his spring debut. The GM said Ryan had normal soreness, but nothing out of the ordinary. ... Ricciardi noted that starter Gustavo Chacin, who was optioned to Triple-A on Wednesday, probably wouldn't be a viable option until around July. ... Ricciardi said one of the biggest surprises of the spring has been Buck Coats: "We tried to get him for the last few years, whether it was a trade or a waiver claim or something like that. Then when we finally got him and you got to see him, he does a lot of things. He can be an extra outfielder."

After his start today, Roy Halladay expanded on his comments earlier this spring about the Jays lacking a sense of urgency last year. Instead of getting into that whole topic, let me just firect you all to the story I pieced together on the issue. One interesting item from that discussion was Halladay -- a quiet presence in the clubhouse -- said he would be willing to be more of a vocal leader on the team this year to hold players accountable.

That's it for tonight. I'm going to read a few more pages of Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men (hooray for by one get one half off sales at the local bookstore) and then hit the sack. More bloggage coming manana...

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- It feels like Groundhog Day around here. Two home games in the past seven days and only Pittsburgh as the visitors. But, hey, the sun is out, there's only a handful of clouds in the sky and there's no long drive home when this game is over.

Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi held court for roughly 15 minutes with us scribes before the game, discussing a wide variety of topics: the fifth spot, left field, manager John Gibbons only being signed through this year, thoughts about Casey Janssen, the upcoming season and B.J. Ryan. I'll be throwing together a few short items for the Web site on the scrum, and I'll put some of what I don't use on here after the game.

Until then, you'll just have to stay on the edge of your seat (honestly, none of it was earth-shattering news) and be content with today's lineups:

PITTSBURGH (5-11) at TORONTO (5-11)
at 10:05 p.m. ET at Knology Park

PIRATES
Nyjer Morgan, CF
Andrew McCutchen, LF
Chris Gomez, 1B
Xavier Nady, RF
Ronny Paulino, DH
Neil Walker, 3B
Brian Bixler, SS
Raul Chavez, CF
Josh Wilson, 2B

PITCHING: RHP Ian Snell

BLUE JAYS
David Eckstein, SS
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Frank Thomas, DH
Matt Stairs, LF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Aaron Hill, 2B
Gregg Zaun, C

PITCHING: RHP Roy Halladay

What do you guys think about the Jays' lineup today? I have a feeling that could potentially be a preview of Opening Day's order. Gibbons seems to like Rios-Wells in the Nos. 2-3 spots, and he's talked about using Stairs ahead of Overbay in the Nos. 6-7 holes. Gibby also hasn't been committed to using Thomas as the cleanup hitter, meaning he could slip to fifth easily.

More later...

ST. PETERSBURG -- You heard it here first, B.J. Ryan is now in the running for the fifth spot in Toronto's rotation. I mean, why else would he start on Friday before Jesse Litsch and why else would the Jays not commit to Litsch being the No. 5?

"Yeah, we should convert him," quipped Jays pitching coach Brad Arnsberg, joking about Ryan.

Ryan only started because the Jays wanted to make sure he got an inning done with rain clouds hovering overhead. Litsch followed with 4 2/3 innings in "relief" and gave up three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Litsch struggled with control, which isn't good for a pitcher trying to wow Toronto.

Casey Janssen and Gus Chacin (a long shot at best, when camp opened) are both out of the running for the fifth, but Toronto continues to plead the fifth. Litsch appears to be the favorite, and manager John Gibbons and Arnsberg have both said they like him as the fifth, but their unwillingness to say he's the clear frontrunner shows that the internal debate persists.

This could mean that the Jays have a trade in the works, or are merely unconvinced as an organization that Litsch can repeat what he did last season (3.81 ERA in 20 starts as a rook). Or, perhaps it's just a way for GM J.P. Ricciardi to keep Litsch on his toes -- keep the young pitcher from getting too comfortable out there.

With that rotation and the upcoming off-day in mind, here's the tentative schedule through next weekend from Arnsberg:

Saturday vs. PIT: Roy Halladay
Sunday at MIN: Dustin McGowan
Monday at PIT: A.J. Burnett
Tuesday: OFF
Wednesday at BOS: TBA (Shaun Marcum Minor League game)
Thursday vs. NYY: TBA (Roy Halladay Minor League game)
Friday at DET: Jesse Litsch
Saturday at NYY: TBA (Dustin McGowan Minor League game)
Sunday vs. PHI: A.J. Burnett

Arnsberg wants to keep hiding his starts from the Yanks and BoSox, who play the Jays in the first two regular seaosn series. There's also rumblings that manager John Gibbons is considering using a fifth starter on April 5 in order to give his starters an extra day of rest.

That's all for today. I'm heading out. On the way back home, I'll pop in the Sex Pistols' Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols in honor of Wilner, who had never heard Anarchy in the UK before this spring.

Later...

ST. PETERSBURG -- Sorry for the delayed entry here. It's the second inning, but I had to spend most of the pregame here at Progress Energy Park downstairs, trying to figure out if the Jays and Rays would get this game in in between the raindrops.

The game didn't start until around 1:25 and just in case the rain picks up again, Toronto sent B.J. Ryan to the mound as the starter. In his Grapefruit League debit, Ryan turned in one shutout inning, striking out two and finishing the stint with 12 pitches (8 strikes).

Jesse Litsch is scheduled to take the mound in the second and is down to work four innings, weather permitting. On another note, Melky Cabrera and Shelley Duncan have been hit with suspensions for their part in the Rays-Yanks brawl the other day and they won't be available for a few of the games in the season-opening series against Toronto.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (5-10) at TAMPA BAY (9-3-1)
at 1:25 p.m. ET at Progress Energy Park

BLUE JAYS
David Eckstein, SS
Scott Rolen, 3B
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Matt Stairs, DH
Shannon Stewart, LF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Aaron Hill, 2B
Rod Barajas, C

PITCHING: LHP B.J. Ryan, RHP Jesse Litsch, LHP Scott Downs, LHP Brian Tallet, RHP Jeremy Accardo

RAYS
Elliott Johnson, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Willy Aybar, 3B
Cliff Floyd, DH
Eric Hinske, 1B
Dioneer Navarro, C
John Rodriguez, RF
Reid Brignac, SS
Jon Weber, CF

PITCHING: RHP Edwin Jackson

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Back at the ol' MLB.com headquarters here -- otherwise known as the condo I'm staying at -- where the internet connection is quick, reliable and blog-worthy.

The drive back from Winter Haven was uneventful, unless you consider that mass of cars that always shows up on the highays around Tampa eventful. Wilner didn't insist on another Waffle House run, but he did request a stop at a 7-Eleven, so he could pick up some apples with caramel dipping sauce.

That quick bite had to act as a substitute for lunch, because the pulled pork sandwiches, which didn't look good anyway, weren't ***-friendly for poor Mike. The ham n' cheese omelet I had this morning was more than enough to hold me until dinner time.

Wow, fourth graph here and food is the only topic at hand? Time to move on...

For those of you out there that still think Spring Training stats matter, you can begin hyperventilating at the sight of Shaun Marcum's pitching line: 3 2/3 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 K, 0 BB, 1 HR, 65 pitches, 47 strikes.

What you don't see within those numbers is what Marcum was doing, which was working on his two-seam sinking fastball over and over and over and over, even though the Indians were spraying it all over the yard and over the fence.

In the regular season, many of the counts that Marcum used his sinker in will be situations he turns to his changeup -- his sick out-pitch. Take the 1-2 count to Pronk Hafner in the third. Marcum tested out the sinker and it promptly -- pronkly? -- was sent bouncing off the wall in right-center for a two-run tater.

Marcum really wants to perfect this pitch, so he has a reliable groundball-inducing option much like Roy Halladay. With a spot cemented in Toronto's rotation, Marcum can afford to keep turning to the pitch without fear that he's going to lose his job with subpar results. Marcum said he'll keep firing away for one more start.

"If it doesn't get better, I'll throw it in the trash and go with what got me here," Marcum said.

After I got back to the condo here, I received word that the Jays made the following roster moves: Optioned Adam Lind, Curtis Thigpen, Robinzon Diaz, Buck Coats and Joe Inglett to Triple-A Syracuse and returned Ryan Patterson and Wayne Lydon to Minor League camp.

Catch you from St. Pete manana. Jesse Litsch takes the hill and B.J. Ryan is set to debut in Grapefruit League play. Stay tuned...

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Just arrived at Chain of Lakes Park here in the terribly named Winter Haven. On the way here, Wilner and I stopped off at a Waffle House to get some breakfast. Our waiter's name? Trampus. I can't make this stuff up.

At least I ran four miles this a.m., so I don't feel so bad about eating at the House. Wilner insists we stop there every year on the way to Winter Haven, so I guess this makes it our last installment of the pseudo-annual event. The Tribe is skipping out on Florida in favor of Arizona for Spring Training next year.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (5-9) at CLEVELAND (6-8-1)
at 1:05 p.m. ET at Chain of Lakes Park

BLUE JAYS
Reed Johnson, RF
Gregg Zaun, DH
Joe Inglett, 2B
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Adam Lind, LF
John McDonald, SS
Buck Coats, CF
Hector Luna, 3B
Sal Fasano, C

PITCHING: RHP Shaun Marcum

INDIANS
Josh Barfield, 2B
David Dellucci, LF
Travis Hafner, DH
Victor Martinez, C
Casey Blake, 1B
Ben Francisco, RF
Jamey Carroll, SS
Danny Sandoval, 3B
Jason Tyner, CF

PITCHING: RHP Fausto Carmona

More later...internet connection permitting. It's reeeaaaal shaky here.

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Those are the storyines today. Casey Janssen is out for the year with a torn labrum in his right shoulder and A.J. Burnett is taking the mound without part of his right index fingernail.

There's been some minor roster movement over the past few days. Prior to today's game, lefty Gustavo Chacin was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse and Travis Snider was returned to Minor League camp. Yesterday, Russ Adams, Sergio Santos Tracy Thorpe, David Purcey and Jean Machi were optioned to Triple-A, while Pedro Lopez and Brian Jeroloman were sent back to Minors camp.

Before I delve back into the Janssen news for a bit, let's get to today's lineups:

PITTSBURGH (4-8-0) at TORONTO (4-9-0)
at 1:05 p.m. ET at Knology Park

PIRATES
Nate McCloth, CF
Jack Wilson, SS
Freddy Sanchez, DH
Jason Bay, LF
Adam LaRoche, 1B
Xavier Nady, RF
Ronny Paulino, C
Jose Bautista, 3B
Luis Rivera, 2B

PITCHING: LHP Zach Duke

BLUE JAYS
David Eckstein, SS
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Frank Thomas, DH
Scott Rolen, 3B
Aaron Hill, 2B
Reed Johnson, LF
Rod Barajas, C
Marco Scutaro, 1B

PITCHING: RHP A.J. Burnett

Now, in regards to Janssen. His absence will certainly effect both the rotation and bullpen. Brandon League looks to be in a good spot for a job in the 'pen now, and John Parrish could make a push for a starting role.

Jesse Litsch is the clear favorite -- Gus Chacin isn't an option anymore -- but GM J.P. Ricciardi said the fifth spot isn't Litsch's job by default. Ricciardi said the team would explore trade possibilities and perhaps other avenues. There are a few free agents still out there, and while adding depth is never bad, I say give Litsch the job.

The Jays are also saying the right things about Janssen's injury, pumping up the idea that he'll be back at 100 percent by next spring. That's all well and good, but torn labrums aren't easy to come back from. It could be a career threatening injury, but Toronto won't say that.

One comment that I found interesting from Ricciardi was "With Casey Janssen, we have a great bullpen. Without him, we have a good bullpen." This quote comes from the main person who's been hyping up Janssen as a potential starter. That made it sound like Janssen was going to be in the bullpen no matter what. Interesting, at least.

On another note, there are a few regular players making the trip to Winter Haven for the game against the Indians tomorrow. Shaun Marcum will pitch, followed by Parrish and others, and Gregg Zaun, Lyle Overbay, along with John McDonald, Marco Scutaro, Reed Johnson and Adam Lind, among others, had their names circled on the travel sheet.

I believe my name is circled as well.

UPDATE 4:21 p.m. -- After picking up the save in today's 4-1 win over the pie-rats, Josh Banks was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. Burnett pitched well -- I continue to be impressed in how strong he's looked even without his curve -- and Wells launched his first homer of the spring.

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Blue Jays pitcher Casey Janssen is done for the season. AN MRI exam revealed that the discomfort Janssen felt in his shoulder during a bullpen session on Tuesday morning was caused by a torn labrum.

Janssen is scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery to repair his frayed shoulder on either Tuesday or Wednesday of next week in California, and the pitcher said the operation will likely be performed by Los Angeles-based surgeon Dr. Lewis Yocum.

The loss is a tough blow to the Blue Jays, who were giving the 26-year-old Janssen an opportunity to win a job in the starting rotation this spring. Last season, Janssen served as Toronto's primary setup man and finished with a 2.35 ERA and 24 holds in 70 appearances.

With Janssen out of the mix for a job, Jesse Litsch becomes the favorite in-house candidate to depart Spring Training as Toronto's fifth starter. Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi indicated on Wednesday, though, that the Jays aren't unwilling to explore trades or other options to bolster their pitching staff.

More coming later...

TAMPA -- In this case, all the assumptions were right. No one on the Blue Jays had come straight out and said it, but it's been written all spring that Gustavo Chacin's chances of making the rotation were slim to none.

Well, on Tuesday, after Chacin was roughed up by the Yankees, Toronto manager John Gibbons came out and said it. But he didn't say Chacin's chances were slim -- Gibbons said his chances were none. That's barring a few injuries, of course.

When asked if Chacin was still considered a candidate for the fifth spot in the rotation, Gibbons said: "No, he hasn't been. We knew that."

Right, we've pretty much known that, but now one of the men in charge made it official. So, even with Casey Janssen sidelined for a while with a right shoulder issue, it's Jesse Litsch as the favorite to round out the rotation. Chacin's arm strength and velocity just aren't there.

On Tuesday, Chacin took the hill as the starter against New York, only because the Jays opted to have Dustin McGowan throw in a Minor League game. In two innings, Gus threw 36 pitches (20 strikes) and yielded four runs on five hits with two walks and no strikeouts.

The first four batters Chacin faced reached base and scored. Melkly Cabrera singled, Derek Jeter walked, Bobb Abreu celebrated his birthday with a two-run double, and Alex Rodriguez launched a two-run homer. That pretty much killed any shot Chacin had -- not that he had much of one anyway.

Chacin only made five April starts last year and then was sidelined with a shoulder injury all season. He then went under the knife in August to repair a torn labrum. Coming back from that in time to be the starter he was in 2006 was a little much to ask. Over the past two years, forearm, elbow and shoulder injuries have limited Gus to 22 starts.

"His arm strength is down," Gibbons said. "He has to build his arm back up. He's not throwing really hard, but that's going to come with time. With what he's coming off of, it's going to take a while to build that."

No word yet on Janssen's MRI results. That might have to wait until tomorrow. Before I head out to grab some dinner at PF Chang's with Bryan Hoch of the Yankees' MLB.com site, I'll leave you with this gem from Gibby.

When asked this morning about Toronto looking at Armando Benitez, Gibbons hadn't heard whether or not it was a done deal yet:

"They have to take money away from me in order to sign him."

TAMPA -- The good news or the bad? There's been enough news this morning to put me well behind the normal routine. It's the fifth inning here at Lengends Field and I have yet to get the lineups up. My apologies, loyal MLBastianites.

Let's just get the bad news out of the way. If you hadn't seen on the Web site, or elsewhere, already, Jays pitcher Casey Janssen is sidelined. He was supposed to pitch four innings in a Minor game today, but a right shoulder injury cut his warm-up session short.

Janssen's down for an MRI later today and he sounded pretty dejected when we caught up with him at Knology Park. Basically, he doesn't know what's wrong with his arm just yet, but he certainly knows that his chances of breaking camp as a starter are pretty much shot. Even if it's a minor setback, I don't see him recovering in time to be built up for a starting role by Opening Day.

So, barring any other setbacks, it looks like the fifth spot is Jesse Litsch's spot to lose more than ever. There's a lot of people within the organization that wanted to keep Janssen in the bullpen and have Litsch in the rotation as it was, and while no one wishes for an injury, if this isn't a major blow, that looks to be the scenario.

Closer B.J. Ryan turned in one shutout inning in a Minor League game, tossing 16 pitches (9 strikes). He fanned two batters, walked one and induced a groundout. Next up is a Grapefruit League game appearance against the Rays on Friday in St. Petersburg.

Also appearing in the Minor game was Dustin McGowan, and relievers Jeremy Accardo, Brian Tallet and Scott Downs. McGowan pitched four innings and focussed on using his four-seam fastball in the outing. He said his arm felt probably the best it has this spring.

Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi didn't see Ryan pitch, because he was behind a fence in the back of the bullpen talking to veteran reliever Armando Benitez. After Benitez threw in front of Ricciardi and Toronto's coaching staff, the Jays inked him to a Minor League deal.

The ways things unfolded, it seems purely coincidental that the Jays signed Benitez on the same day Janssen hurt his shoulder. Benitez adds some depth, but he's hardly a candidate anymore for a setup job and the Jays don't need him to close. We were standing behind the backstop watching McGowan throw when a man I believe was Benitez's agent ran over to J.P. and said, "We've got a deal."

The offer that was accepted appeared to come prior to Janssen's injury. Janssen promptly left the complex to see Dr. Steve Mirabello and he's scheduled to have an MRI later today. When there's word on that I'll let you know. That wasn't the only injury that happened Tuesday morning either.

While watching McGowan, we all heard some commotion on another practice field. Apparently, Toronto Minor League outfielder Moises Sierra lost a baseball in the sun out in right field and the ball came down and hit him straight in the face. Sierra was carted off the field after a laying on the ground for a while.

Later on, there was a foul ball that came pretty close to Ricciardi and another that landed not too far from where us media types were standing.

"It's like a shooting gallery in here," Ricciardi said.

"They'll have everyone wearing helmets pretty soon," quipped another coach.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "How's Marty?" --Toronto Sun's Mike Rutsey, asking Ricciardi for an update on Casey Janssen. Rutz experienced a minor brain fart and confused the young pitcher's name with that of former Jays pitcher Marty Janzen.

Other items of note: RHP Tracy Thorpe and INF Sergio Santos were both optioned to Triple-A on Tuesday. Following Monday's game, INF Russ Adams was optioned to Triple-A and INF Pedro Lopez and C Brian Jeroloman were returned to Minor League camp. Not sure how I missed it, but LHP Davis Romero and INF Chip Cannon were also returned on Saturday (Oh, I know how I missed it, I was off). ... Remember Minor League Chad Mottola? He's back in camp, but the former first-round pick is now a coach with the Jays. He's going to test out his coaching skills in the Gulf Coast League.

Still want those lineup? Here's the abbreviated version:

JAYS: SS David Eckstein, RF Matt Stairs, CF Vernon Wells, 3B Scott Rolen, DH Frank Thomas, 1B Lyle Overbay, LF Shannon Stewart, 2B Aaron Hill, C Gregg Zaun. Gus Chacin pitching.

YANKS: CF Melky Cabrera, SS Derek Jeter, RF Bobby Abreu, 3B Alex Rodriguez, DH Jason Giambi, 2B Robinson Cano, 1B Shelley Duncan, LF Jason Lane, C Jose Molines. Chien-Ming Wang twirling.

As a tribute to the Star's Cathal Kelly, who has since returned to Toronto, and to go along with all the running around I've been doing today, here's my Song of the Day: Scooby Snacks by Fun Loving Criminals.

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Just about 1 a.m. here back at the ol' MLB.com condo in Clearwater and I just got back from seeing a late showing of Semi Pro -- the latest Will Ferrell comedy flick. I planned on waiting to see it until it was out on DVD, but after a week's worth of Wilner's pathetic begging, I caved and went to see it with him.

I guess I owed him, since earlier this spring he did accompany me to see Vantage Point, which was decent enough until the premise ran dry and the movie turned into every action movie you've ever seen (obligatory car chase that smashes through a sidewalk cafe included). Semi Pro was funny enough, but it didn't live up to Talledega Nights or Blades of Glory. But, really, how many times can you tell the same joke and have it still be hilarious?

By far the best movie I've seen this spring is In Bruges, which stars another Farrell -- this one of the Colin variety. Now that was a solid comedy, though a dark one. The previews don't really give you a true indication of the serious nature of the movie, so it took me a little while to get into it. By the end, though, I wished I could've hit rewind to watch it a second time.

Anyway, enough about movies. There's some baseball stuff to get out of the way before I hit the sack. Tomorrow figures to be a longish day, what with us making the trek over to The Mattick to watch B.J. Ryan, Dustin McGowan and Casey Janssen throw in a Minor League game, and then moving to Legends in Tampa to watch the Jays take on the Yanks.

Jays pitching coach Brad Arnsberg said McGowan and Janssen aren't going against New York for the simple reason that the Yanks host Toronto in the season's opening series. With each pitcher set to throw four innings, Arnsberg sees no reason why he should give the Yankees' hitters a chance to get a handful of ABs against each guy. Fair enough. They just need to get work in, so facing New York or a few Minor Leaguers won't make a difference.

Over in Kissimmee earlier today, catcher Rod Barajas was asked if there was one pitcher who has surprised him so far this spring. Of all the pitchers the catcher has worked with since joining the Jays, Barajas said the one arm that really stands out is McGowan. Here's what RB had to say:

"I had never seen, and I don't think I had ever faced, McGowan. I got to catch him his first start and he was nice. He was nice to catch. He's got that hop on his fastball and he's got an incredible slider and he worked the changeup that day, too, and had a good changeup. You love seeing young guys with live arms, but who are able to command their pitches. I was pleasantly surprised. He's a guy who I came into camp and everybody was saying 'This guy is pretty special,' and he lived up to it."

As for Ryan, it'll be his final Minor League outing -- barring another round of doctor's orders -- before he shifts to Grapefruit League play. That step would come Friday against the Rays in St. Pete. As for Tuesday, Ryan is allowed to throw up to 25 pitches, if necessary, but he's been logging around 18 in his previous sim games.

Also had a nice little chat with manager John Gibbons up in Kissimmee today. There's a small lake (pond, really) that's right behind the visitor's clubhouse at Osceola Stadium, and Gibby was telling me how he and a few of his fellow Mets teammates back in the day used to go fishing back there. I didn't spy any fishing rods in the Jays clubhouse, though.

Goodnight, all.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- So John Parrish is striking guys out left and right, David Eckstein is mashing grand slams and B.J. Ryan is still simulating games after all. Meanwhile, I was hitting up Disney World and knocking off some restaurants off the must-eat list with my wife over the past few days.

Well, Mrs. Bastian is back in Toronto and I'm back following the Jaybirds. Mike Wilner of The Fan590 and I roadtripped it up here to Kissimmee this morning and enjoyed the 11-mile trek down Main Street U.S.A. Man, even as an American, it's just gross to see so many tacky gift shops, motels and fast food joints line the road to this ballpark.

My favorite -- aside from the one motel that offered "Clean Room" -- was the pizza/gas station/tatoo palor. Yeah, I'd like a slice of pepperoni, a fillup on No. 2, and how about one of those barbwire tats across my bicep. Sold.

Considering Buck Coats just had a well-barreled ball that looked like a home run turned into a routine fly out to open this game, perhaps I should toss the ol' lineups on here.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (4-7) at HOUSTON (5-8)
at Osceola County Stadium at 1:05 p.m. ET

BLUE JAYS
Buck Coats, CF
Alex Rios, RF
Adam Lind, LF
Marco Scutaro, SS
Rod Barajas, C
Travis Snider, DH
Curtis Thigpen, 1B
Hector Luna, 3B
Russ Adams, 2B

PITCHING: RHP Roy Halladay

ASTROS
Hunter Pence, RF
Darin Erstad, CF
Lance Berkman, 1B
Carlos Lee, LF
Miguel Tejada, SS
Geoff Blum, 3B
Ty Wigginton, DH
Mark Loretta, 2B
Brad Ausmus, C

PITCHING: RHP Roy Oswalt

A Rios double, followed by a shot off Lind's bat that looked like another homer. That wind is really coming in from right field, though, and it wound up being another fly out.

A slight change you might see coming on the blog here is more little news tidbits and updates. Higher ups at MLB.com have decided to change the way we roll news out somewhat, leading to a switch from the traditional notebooks on the team Web sites to more news stories.

As a result, the "Quotable" and "Did you know?" type sections that I've done in the past, or the short one-sentence note items that sometimes don't warrant an entire story, will now have a home here on the blog. That's pretty much what I've done on the blog thus far anyway, so in reality not much will change.

Halladay's about to start working against the 'Stros. Manager John Gibbons had this to say about having Doc facing Oswalt today:

"These first four innings, they may go pretty quick."

No doubt.

On deck tomorrow morning, Ryan, Dustin McGowan and Casey Janssen are down to throw in a Minor League game at the Bobby Mattick Training Center. It's tentatively the last sim game apperance for Ryan, who would then make his first spring appearance on Friday. Gus Chacin is the scheduled starter for the game against the Yanks in Tampa.

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- With no disrespect to Brett Favre, the coverage down here on ESPN is a little ridiculous. I understand the man was a legend, and I loved watching him play, but the non-stop coverage has been a little over the top.

Sal Fasano, die-hard Bears fan, didn't like how all the Favre coverage and NFL free agency coverage pushed baseball to the back end of Sportscenter's lineup.

"That's why I don't watch Sportscenter," Fasano said. "Cartoon Network -- that's where it's at."

When we weren't in the clubhouse being smothered with non-stop Favre coverage on the TV, we did talk to some Blue Jays about baseball-related topics. Roy Halladay, who looked like his usual ho-hum dominating self, had some great things to say about new shortstop David Eckstein and third baseman Scott Rolen:

"I've heard about what great guys they are and that's the part that's still stands out the most to me. So far, they're better than what I've heard, as far as the way they go about their work and do things. You know they're going to be good players on the field, but to hear what quality teammates they are and have that exceed what youve heard is always a bonus.

"Just the way they work. They come in, they do their job and they're quiet about it. Eckstein , especially. Just talking pickoffs, he listens and goes with what we do and if he's got some ideas, afterwards he'll come up and mention it. But he's very cautious about overstepping his boundaries and obviously he doesn't have to be that way.

"But that's very respectful of the coaches and the guys that have been here and the way we've done things here, to come in and kind of keep your motuh shut and then throw your ideas out there when it's appropriate. To have veteran guys come in and act like that, it's impressive."

Other notes from today:

• B.J. Ryan threw in a simulated game and is slated to pitch in a Grapefruit League game on Saturday, roughly a week ahead of schedule
• Matt Stairs sprained his ankle earlier this week, but manager John Gibbons hopes to get him back in the lineup on Friday
• Scott Rolen has hit in the No. 2 hole for the past two games, but Gibbons said he won't hit second during the season
• RHP Jason Frasor threw in a sim game and didn't throw up, a good step for the reliever, who lost five pounds with a stomach bug this week

OK, I'm away from the team for a few days. Mrs. Bastian is in town for the week and I'm taking some time off to spend time with The Wife. Speaking of the Misses, she's downstairs waiting for me so we can go get some dinner. With that...

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The Phillies have made the short trek here to Knology Park for today's game, which will pit Toronto ace Roy Halladay against Philadelphia's Brett Myers. No access to the clubhouse just yet, as of 10 a.m., because Donald Fehr is here holding the annual closed-door meeting with the club.

In the meantime, us scribblers are passing the time in the pressbox. Someone on the Jays' staff is working hard today, too, because the lineup sheets and rosters were printed already and waiting for us. Good work. Now, about those media guides...

Today's lineups:

PHILADELPHIA (3-3-1) at TORONTO (2-4-0)
at Knology Park at 1:05 p.m. ET

PHILLIES
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Eric Bruntlett, 3B
Chase Utley, 2B
Ryan Howard, 1B
Jayson Werth, LF
Geoff Jenkins, RF
Wes Helms, DH
So Taguchi, CF
Carlos Ruiz, C

PITCHING: RHP Brett Myers

BLUE JAYS
David Eckstein, SS
Scott Rolen, 3B
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Frank Thomas, DH
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Aaron Hill, 2B
Reed Johnson, LF
Gregg Zaun, C

PITCHING: RHP Roy Halladay

Rolen is in the lineup's second spot for the second day in a row. H