BOSTON -- Beautiful day here in Boston. Enjoyed a nice five-mile run along the lovely Charles River this morning and a pleasant walk to the Fens this afternoon. I've received a handful of e-mail inquiries about the sudden use of mouthguards by Blue Jays pitchers Dustin McGowan and Shaun Marcum. Talked to Marcum today -- he's feeling much better after a bad bout with the flu -- and he said it began in Spring Training.

A representative from somewhere in Canada visited Toronto's spring site and explained that wearing a mouthguard can help align the jaw and also create added flexibility and range of motion. So, the M&M boys decided it was worth a shot and started wearing the mouthguards during their starts.

STAT OF THE DAY: Since 2002, Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay has thrown more complete games (32) than any other Major League pitcher and more than eight big-league teams have as a whole. Since '02, the Dodgers (31), Phillies (31), Rays (30), Red Sox (29), Mets (29), Reds (28), Braves (26) and Pirates (23) have had fewer CGs than the good doctor.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Do you see a lack of effort? So you see anybody loafing? That's when you run into trouble. The effort's there. The effort has always been there. You get into trouble when you start pointing fingers. Things can go from bad to worse in a hurry that way." --Jays manager John Gibbons, on his team's recent struggles

RYAN UPDATE: Gibbons noted that closer B.J. Ryan might be able to be used on consecutive days "in the next couple weeks." Ryan, who is currenly only permitted to throw every other day, will need to pass the one-year anniversary (May 10) of his left-elbow Tommy John surgery before being considered in back-to-back games.

Today's lineups:

BOSTON -- During the Blue Jays' off-day on Monday, manager John Gibbons took some time to head about a half-hour north of Boston to visit with his 96-year-old grandmother, Mary Boyson. Knowing her grandson's team just endured a rough six-game losing streak, Boyson got right to the point.

"She's still pretty sharp," Gibbons said with a smile. "She said, 'What the hell's going wrong with your team?' I said, 'Good question.' She said, 'Are you going to get fired?' I said, 'That's another good question.' I didn't expect her to hammer me. I thought she might give me a hug or something."

Gibbons is a Texan through and through, but he does have a little Boston blood flowing through his veins. Both of Gibbons' parents lived in Beverly -- not too far from the hub of Red Sox Nation. It just so happens that Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi -- a Minor League roomie of Gibby's in their days in the Mets farm system -- also lives in Worcester, Mass.

"New England blood, man. I don't tell anybody that, though," Gibbons joked. "That's the only reason J.P. hired me."

Gibby also joked that Grandma Boyson advised him to shake up his lineup, which featured David Eckstein in the No. 2 hole and Aaron Hill bumped to the No. 5 hole for the opener in Boston. IF there's a series opener tonight, that is. It's drizzling and the tarp's on the field about an hour before game time here, but the forecast would seem to indicate that they'll get this game in.

The cramped visitor's clubhouse is not the place a team battling a nasty flu bug would want to be and Toronto sent another victim back to the team hotel today. Shaun Marcum  -- scheduled to start on Friday at home against Chicago -- is the latest to fall prey to the contagious bug.

Gibbons also noted that left-handed reliever Scott Downs was available out of the bullpen on Tuesday, if needed. Downs has been battling some minor soreness in his throwing shoulder for the past few days, but Gibbons said the pitcher was feeling better. A trip to the disabled list doesn't appear to be on the horizon.

On another note, I just finished reading Cormac McCarthy's The Road and I would advise others to do the same. It was a fantastic read and a book I struggled to put down until I was finished. I picked it up after thoroughly enjoying McCarthy's No Country for Old Men, which reads like a screenplay for the film. I've since moved on to Scott Smith's The Ruins and blazed through half the novel yesterday, thanks to lengthy delays at the airport.

Anyway, here are...

Today's lineups:

TORONTO -- I'm off for the next few days, handing off the Blue Jays' beat duties to a fill-in down in Kansas City. After that lousy display of baseball in Orlando, I don't mind having a few days off, though I am looking forward to seeing Scott Rolen finally in Toronto's lineup.

I'll be back on the road when the Jays head to Boston and I'll pick up the blogging from there. I have a hunch that Adam Lind will have returned well before then, maybe even tonight in K.C. We'll see. Anyway, I'm about to head out for dinner -- just didn't want you guys wondering where the pregame bloggage was.

One thing before I sign off, though: Someone in the last post commented with a question about my doing a live in-game Q&A last season. I'll probably do one or two of these this year, depending on my schedule. I'll post well in advance when I plan on doing this so you all can be sure to hop on and dish questions.

Catch you all from Beantown. Stay tuned for more...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Scott Rolen was in uniform and in the clubhouse on Thursday afternoon, but he hasn't been activated from the 15-day disabled list just yet. That step will come after the game, when manager John Gibbons will likely tell either Joe Inglett or Robinzon Diaz that it's been real, clearing room on the roster.

Rolen went 0-for-9 with an error at third base in his three rehab stints with Class A Dunedin and joked that if the Dunedin Jays are hoping to contend for that Florida State League title, the team's probably happy to get rid of him. Rolen said "it's time to play," meaning, tenderness in his right middle finger or not, he's coming off the DL now, and he'll be on the team's charter to Kansas City and able to play tomorrow.

"We asked him to tell us when he felt ready," Gibbons said. "We trust what he tells us."

Alex Rios and Lyle Overbay are back in the lineup after missing last night's game with the flu and a bum ankle, respectively. Rios looked and felt much better today. Adam Lind, who will probably be up with the club sooner than later, wasn't at the ball yard. The Mighty Lind watch continues.

Also, to anyone criticizing Gibbons for leaving Halladay in for three complete games in a row -- like the fellas on Baseball Tonight were doing last night -- there's no argument to be made there. Doc is second in the Majors with 13.07 pitchers per inning and he's averaged just over 111 pitches over his last three starts -- nothing out of the ordinary.

"He hasn't been abused," Gibbons said.

Today's lineups:

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Not so much. Blue Jays first baseman Lyle Overbay -- out with a sore right ankle -- as well as the Rays' Eric Hinske, who manned first on Tuesday, both had negative comments about the field conditions at the Wide World of Sports Complex.

Overbay had one "routine" grounder bounced to him on Tuesday night that he said "took a right turn," hindering him from gloving the ball. Hinske's blunder in the second inning on Tuesday was also a result of a strange hop. The problem is there isn't a team that uses this park regularly after Spring Training, so it likely doesn't get the same daily treatment as a big-league park.

"Not to bash them or anything," Overbay said. "But I just have a hard time thinking that the Braves have Spring Training here and play on that kind of field. I know they play a lot of games here after Spring Training, so it's frustrating.

"Routine ground balls, I mean, that ball took a right turn and went straight up. That ball would've hit me right in my face if it didn't [turn], and that's a routine ground ball. That's not a hard hit ball."

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons also isn't a big fan of playing in this 9,500-seat ballpark, which drew only 8,269 on Tuesday night (paid attendance anyway). The Jays understand why the Rays would want to hold games here, but that doesn't mean Toronto has to be a big fan of the idea.

"I didn't like the feel out there last night," Gibbons said. "Plus, there were some empty seats out there yesterday. You can see their idea, you know, drawing up some interest -- it makes sense."

Overbay had X-rays on his right ankle on Tuesday night, but the results came back negative. Alex Rios was out of the lineup for the second straight game -- this time due to flu-like symptoms. I caught a glimpse of Rios laying on a training table before the game and, yeah, dude looked to be in real rough shape.

On another note, Gibbons said that Jesse Litsch shouldn't be looking over his shoulder for now, even though the young righty has struggled out of the gates. Now, if Litsch's woes persist for another 3-5 outings? "That's a long way down the road. That's a month from now," was all Gibby would offer. Oh, and Josh Banks? Probably 7th or 8th on the rotation depth chart? Claimed off waiver by the Padres.

Today's lineups:

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- In the land where dreams come true, I finally enjoyed my first smooth day of travel of the 2008 baseball season. No cancelled flights. Bumped up to first class. Some nice shut-eye on the journey. No missed connections. And fireworks lighting up the Orlando sky when I landed last night.

Some free advice: if you want to get through customs quickly without any issues, please refrain from cussing out the border officials. There was a family ahead of me that was taking a prolonged amount of time to get through and a guard asked them to step aside, at which point one girl in the group yelled a rather unpleasant and unproductive message at said guard. They were all promptly escorted out of the airport. Me? No problemo...

Here at the Wide World of Sports, it's sunny skies. No Alex Rios in the lineup today -- just a day off, according to manager John Gibbons. Gibby also noted that Rays starter James Shields has handled Rios well in the past, so it made sense to start Lexi on the bench. So Matt Stairs moves into the No. 3 hole and Joe Inglett mans right for the second straight game.

Gibby also noted that Scott Rolen, who missed his scheduled Minor League rehab appearance yesterday due to the flu, is expected to be back with the Jays before the end of this road trip. That's been the assumption, but Gibby made that clear today. You'll all be happy to know that Adam Lind (out recently with a stiff neck) got back into a game yesterday and went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Time to do some work and grab me some eats, so here are...

Today's lineups:

TORONTO -- I showed up at the ball yard to make sure chaos wasn't going to break out this morning -- after this past weekend, who knows what's next for this team? -- but I'm not staying for the game. I have a flight to Orlando to catch. I'm going to the Disney World Series!

OK, so it's not really all that exciting. It's a small park the Braves use for Spring Training and the pressbox ain't exactly up to par in relation to the big-league ballparks. And I highly doubt I'll have any time to hit up Disney -- not that I'd want to without Mrs. Bastian or some nieces or nephews in tow.

I am looking forward to getting in some weather where a jacket isn't needed, though. Unlike today, which is a little too chilly to have this dome open, if you ask me. So we're in Day 3 of no Frank Thomas in the lineup and so far the Jays are 2-0. Coincidence? Most definitely. But this past weekend could very well hold some importance later in the year.

As for today, Robinzon Diaz is up with the club and -- newsflash -- he's excited to be here. He's likely holding down the fort until Adam Lind (stiff neck) is ready to rejoin the Jays. I doubt Diaz will see much action at the plate. Perhaps he'll see some time at third base, who knows? Third baseman Scott Rolen could be back before next weekend.

Jays center fielder Vernon Wells isn't in the lineup, though he hasn't been benched indefinitely and his release papers aren't being printed up. Nope, he's just being given your typical day off. Nothing more there. With Wells out, Alex Rios is in center, Shannon Stewart is in left and...well, why don't I just do it this way...

Today's lineups:

TORONTO -- Not much time to blog here, but let's just say I called it last night. Frank Thomas was granted his unconditional release this morning by the Blue Jays. No subsequent move for now -- Adam Lind is the long-term option, but he's fighting a stiff neck at the moment.

Thomas met with GM J.P. Ricciardi this morning and they came to a mutual agreement on releasing the veteran designated hitter, according to Ricciardi. Thomas was long gone, so no way to get his side of the story. You'll see Matt Stairs and Rod Barajas DHing more now and Lind can split time in left with Shannon Stewart when he comes up at some point.

Scott Rolen was scheduled to make a rehab appearance with Class A Dunedin today as well. He's down to play three games down there and then Ricciardi said the team will reevaluate his status. Looks like Rolen could be back here some time next week. That's a best-case scenario, of course.

More later...

Today's lineups:

TORONTO -- Blue Jays manager John Gibbons won't come out and say it, but Frank Thomas will. Being left out of the starting lineup for Saturday's game isn't a one-time deal for Thomas. He's been told that he could be on the bench for a while.

"Basically, I've been told that I'm not going to be in that lineup," Thomas told MLB.com on Saturday. "Gibby told me that this morning. I see it as something else is going on. We'll see how that plays out.

"You know what's going on and I know what's going on. We'll see how it plays out. I'm just a little frustrated right now. There are some things going on around here this year that I haven't been happy about."

Thomas was likely referring to his contract situation. If he reaches 304 more plate appearances this season, he has a $10 million option for 2009 that will vest. Thomas' struggles may very be just another slow start, but you can bet Toronto's higher ups are a little wary with that option hanging over their heads.

There are some within Toronto's organization who have expressed concern that this could be a sign of Thomas being in decline production wise. Recently, he's started crouching more in his stance, which could indicate that he's trying to cheat some with his swing in order to catch up to pitches. Thomas downplayed any significance with the stance change.

"That's nothing new," he said. "Some days I'm up and some days I'm down. That's just the way I do things."

UPDATE -- 6:13 p.m. ET: Just wrapping up here at the ball yard and thought I'd add a postgame update on the Thomas situation. I can neither confirm nor deny that Thomas was sitting on Toronto's bench on Saturday, but no one saw him there. One place he definitely wasn't was on the field with the team, shaking hands after the game. That's not a good move. Looking at the situation, which has potential to become a huge distraction for a team that wants to contend, Thomas may be released in the near future. Now, that's complete speculation on my part, but it would rid the Jays of having to worry about that $10 million option for 2009, which is something the team would probably want to avoid having to pick up. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out over the next few days. I will say this: Thomas is a Hall of Famer, hands down. He's also been one of my favorite players I've ever covered as a reporter. I am slightly bias, through, since I grew up in Chicago when he was pretty much the Michael Jordan of baseball. Still, his production is declining. Yes, there's a track record there for the slow starts, but it's looked more and more this year like he's been struggling to catch up to pitches. If this year winds up being his last one in the bigs, he's had a tremendous career.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO -- That's what David Purcey drew for his first Major League start for the Blue Jays. The 6-foot-5 left-hander has been given the task of taking on a sleeping giant in the Detroit Tigers, who boast one of the more intimidating lineups in the game.

Gibbons chuckled and mustered an "I don't know" when asked if he'd rather have a pitcher making his debut against a tough team like Detroit or against perhaps a lesser opponent. It's definitely a good test for Purcey, but it certainly could be a tall task, too.

"They're due to explode," Gibbons said about the struggling Tigers. "You've got to pitch well. You've got to hold them in check a little bit and you've got to score your share of runs. You go into this series figuring that they're going to put some runs on the board, so you've got to do the same thing.

"It's a special day for him," he added about Purcey. "You want him to enjoy it, because you only get that debut one time. But it's going to be a big test. They're predominantly a right-handed hitting team and have been one of the biggest run producers in the game for the last five or six years. He's definitely got to pitch. I'm sure they like hard-throwing lefties."

It'll be one and done for Mr. Purcey, too, even if he throws a no-hitter. The Jays are expected to make a roster move after the game to add a right-handed reliever to the bullpen. It's looking like Shawn Camp may be the one to get the call. On Thursday, Camp picked up his fourth save of the year for Triple-A Syracuse and he has worked 10 shutout innings with 13 strikeouts and no walks.

Out of the lineup today is first baseman Lyle Overbay, who has hit just two homers in 277 at-bats since breaking his right hand on June 3 last year. Overbay has no homers in 16 games and 59 ABs this season. Everyone says the hand is no longer an issue, but the power drop-off has been considerable. Overbay hit 22 homers in '06 and had 8 through 55 games before breaking his hand in '07.

Now, the Jays don't necessarily need Overbay to be a home-run hitter, but Toronto could certainly benefit from getting 15-20 from his left-handed bat, especially with question marks existing throughout the lineup. Homers aside, Overbay only has two doubles so far this year, too. Then again, he only had two April doubles in '06 and finished with 46.

STAT OF THE DAY: Last night, Roy Halladay threw a complete game -- nothing out of the ordinary there. No Blue Jays outfieders recorded a putout during his nine-inning effort, though. It was the first time since Aug. 19, 1997 (Detroit's Willie Blair) that a pitcher turned a complete game with no outfield putouts.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO -- Some minor movement today after last night's 14-inning marathon. Right-hander Brian Wolfe was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right triceps strain and lefty David Purcey was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.

Unless he needs to pitch tonight for some reason, Purcey is scheduled to start and make his big-league debut on Friday against the Tigers. A.J. Burnett, who pitched in relief in the 14th inning on Wednesday, is now slated to start Sunday and Shaun Marcum and Jesse Litsch are moved back to Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

Toronto manager John Gibbons made it clear that, regardless of how he pitches, Purcey is only with the Jays for one start. So don't expect him to replace Litsch as Toronto's fifth or anything. After he makes his appearance, the Jays will need to add another right-handed reliever to replace Wolfe -- perhaps Brandon League will be back.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO -- Got to Baltimore's airport at 5 a.m. this morn to catch my 6 a.m. flight, which was cancelled because of a dented door on the plane. It's always something with me, huh? Caught some shuteye on the floor at the airport and eventually made it on to a flight that got me to Toronto by Noonish.

After a quick power nap at home to try and shake this nasty cold I'm fighting, I sucked it up and headed over to the ball yard. Once, just once, I would like a completely smooth day of travelling with no horror stories to pass along. But I'm here and I'm living, ready to cover the Blue Birds game against the Rangers.

Jays skip John Gibbons tinkered with the lineup today, giving Shannon Stewart the night off to rest a sore groin -- apparently tweaked when he threw out Baltimore's Jay Payton at the plate in the eighth inning on Monday. If absolutely necessary, Gibbons said Stewart was available to come off the bench.

Aaron Hill was back in the lineup one day after taking a pitch off his left elbow, but Gibbons said the second baseman was fine. No X-rays were needed, but Hill exited Tuesday's blowout a little early to get some treatment. Gibbons also noted that closer B.J. Ryan, if he didn't pitch tonight, would probably need to get into tomorrow's game to get some work.

The Jays are trying to juggle the throwing schedule for Ryan until he's able to pitch on consecutive days. For now, Gibbons said he doesn't want Ryan to go without work for more than three days and the closer can do light bullpen sessions to keep fresh if he's not getting into save situations.

There's no timetable as to when Ryan will be able to pitch in back-to-back games, but GM J.P. Ricciardi said he'd like to wait until the pitcher at least moves past the one-year point from the time of his elbow surgery. That'd be May 10 -- so I'd say you can expect to see Scott Downs and Jeremy Accardo getting some save opps until at least mid May.

Today's lineups:

BALTIMORE -- Blue Jays skipper John Gibbons was in a joking mood before today's game against the Orioles. Joe Inglett (5-for-11 since being called up from Triple-A) was held out of the starting lineup for the finale in Baltimore, so it was only natural for us scribes to ponder why Inglett was on the bench.

"He only has one hit last night -- that's unacceptable," quipped Gibbons.

In reality, Mighty Joe was on the bench in order to get Marco Scutaro back in the mix. Gibbons said he didn't want Scoot going too long between starts while Scott Rolen is out. Speaking of whom, Gibbons said that in a "best-case" scenario, Rolen could possibly be ready to return in two weeks, which would be later this month. I say that's pretty optimistic.

Aaron Hill was back in the No. 2 hole in the lineup, where he figures to stay for a while. Hill's enjoyed hitting second and Gibbons has really liked having Hill's bat high in the order. You want your best hitters getting the most at-bats and Hill is certainly proving to be one of Toronto's top offensive weapons. Batting second will give him more ABs.

Also, for those of you who might've heard a report on the FAN590 about GM J.P. Ricciardi joining the team unexpectedly on this road trip with intention of possibly firing Gibbons, well, there's simply nothing to it. Ricciardi is back home in Boston and Gibby's job is secure. The report was completely unsubstantiated.

TORONTO (7-6) at BALTIMORE (8-5)
at 7:05 p.m. ET at Camden Yards

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

PITCHING: RHP Shaun Marcum

ORIOLES
Brian Roberts, 2B
Melvin Mora, 3B
Nick Markakis, RF
Kevin Millar, 1B
Luke Scott, DH
Jay Payton, LF
Ramon Hernandez, C
Adam Jones, CF
Luis Hernandez, SS

PITCHING: RHP Steve Trachsel

BALTIMORE -- Scott Rolen showed up inside the visitor's clubhouse at Camden Yards today, receiveing plenty of hand shakes all around. Sitting over with a group of players taking part in a card game, though, Jays second baseman Aaron Hill welcomed Rolen with this quip:

"We don't need you, bro. We just swept."

Before showing up at the ball yard, Rolen met with Dr. Thomas Graham, who performed surgery on the third baseman's right middle finger at the end of spring. Reports on Rolen's finger are good and he's already throwing (no ground balls, just catch) and hitting (with a protective rubber guard on his finger).

Rolen's finger is still tender, though, considering it hasn't healed completely from the surgery. So the timeline remains the same, even though he's ahead of schedule activity wise. That means he could be back toward the end of this month or some time in early May. More on his visit with us scribes on mlb.com in a while.

Also of note is that reliever Armando Benitez tweaked a hamstring covering first base in a Minor League game, according to Jays manager John Gibbons. Benitez is currently with Triple-A Syracuse, but Gibbons wasn't sure the extent of the pitcher's injury.

Catcher Rod Barajas was out of the lineup, but feeling better after tweaking a groin on Sunday. Gibbons said there'd be no need to DL Barajas and that he was available off the bench. Hill moves into the No. 3 hole with Alex Rios getting a day off and Mighty Joe Inglett remains in the starting lineup at third base.

Today's lineups:

THE BATTLE FOR FIRST PLACE

TORONTO -- For the first time since the first week of March, I am not at the ballyard with the Blue Birds. I didn't make the trek to Texas for Toronto's three-game set against the Rangers, but I'll meet up with the Jays on the road in Baltimore. So, that's it for now. Catch you all in a few days...

~JB

TORONTO -- Today marked the arrival of left-hander Jesse Carlson, who said he had tears when he heard he was going to The Show. Carlson joins a bullpen that's been taxed and struggling of late, most noticeably in the ninth inning with closer Jeremy Accardo.

Accardo hasn't been throwing his splitter as much early on this year, which isn't good. Even Manager John Gibbons said Accardo needs to be using the pitch more to be effective. That was the pitch that essentially earned Accardo the closer's job last year when B.J. Ryan got hurt. Basically, Accardo's split hasn't been reliable and he's been forced to turn more to his slider and cutter.

Scott Rolen is due to start hitting off a tee tomorrow and Ryan and reliever Armando Benitez are heading to Triple-A Syracuse to continue their respective journeys to Toronto's bullpen. Ryan could be back with the Jays by next homestand, but Benitez still needs a little more time before he's an option.

Accardo isn't available out of the 'pen for tonight's series finale, nor is Scott Downs. So if there's a save situation, Gibbons said he'll just go with the pitcher who has the most favorable matchups. Marco Scutaro was still at third base on Thursday night and Gibby said there was no thought to giving him a day off.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO -- Want to start a fight in the 500 level on Toonie Tuesdays? Well, you're going to have to do it sober. After this week's pile of fan altercations in the upper reaches of the Dome, especially during last night's first $2 Tuesday promotion, the Jays have changed their alcohol policy.

For the three upcoming $2 Tuesdays -- May 6, May 20 and June 10 -- there will be no beer available in the seats affected by the promotion. That means all you fans hoping to throw down a toonie to sit in the 200 level outfield seats or in the 500 level with the intention of getting hammered, well, no beer for you.

This comes after Jays president and CEO Paul Godfrey witnessed a few of the fights from his suite at Rogers Centre. There were roughly 100 people kicked out of the park on Tuesday and an arrest made -- roughly the same numbers as on Opening Day. Problem is that there were 21,000 fewer fans in the seats on Tuesday.

"If it continues to cause our fans who are interested in baseball a disturbance," Godfrey said, "then I'll seriously consider scrapping the $2 program entirely. It's unfortunate, because it's a good way to attract people, but we're not going to tolerate that type of activity at the ballpark."

"A few can always ruin it for the majority," he continued. "It's really unfortunate that some of them feel that this is a night club here. It's not a night club. It's a sport venue."

Nice. With that, here's tonight's lineups. A little late, but what can you do?

TORONTO -- Mario friggin Chalmers. I was two seconds away from being crowned champion of the only two NCAA bracket pools that I entered this year. Then Chalmers hits that crazy three pointer for the Jayhawks, sends the game against Memphis to OT and, well, I'm sure you can figure out the rest...

At least I still managed to win one of the pools. Apparently no one in that one had Kansas winning it all. Still, that was a pretty solid game throughout. Anyway, I'm sure you all are veeerrrry interested in how my brackets turned out. You are? OK, I had three of the Final Four teams and six of the Elite Eight correct. Oh, wait...you really weren't interested.

On to Blue Jays then:

B.J. Ryan threw in a Minors game on Monday and will make one more appearance with Class A Dunedin on Wednesday before moving to Triple-A Syrcause. He'lk make about four outings there on his every other day schedule and could possibly be ready to rejoin the Jays for their next homestand. No pitching on consecutive days until some time in May, though.

Scott Rolen had the pin removed from his right middle finger on Monday and has already started doing some baseball activities. He'll join up with the team on the road in Baltimore, where he'll have his hand looked at by Dr. Thomas Graham. The hope is that Rolen can take part in BP and start throwing in Baltimore and then maybe be sent out on a rehab assignment. We'll see.

Manager John Gibbons reiterated again today that Matt Stairs and Shannon Stewart are not in a strict platoon -- that Stew will indeed get some starts against right-handers. Gibby also noted that it hasn't been by design that Brandon League hasn't been used yet. The starting pitching has just been so dang good and Gibby wanted to get Randy Wells in for his big-league debut the other day. Leaguer should be in there soon enough.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO -- Good news on the Florida front. B.J. Ryan is feeling great and only needed nine pitches to work through a Minor League game on Saturday. Scott Rolen is already doing baseball activities and is scheduled to have the pin removed from his broken right middle finger on Monday.

If they keep sailing along smoothly, there's a chance both players could be back with the Jays before the end of the month. Ryan is pitching every other day now and will do so for two or three more games before the Jays plot his return. Rolen still has to test his finger while throwing, which will be the biggest obstacle for him going forward.

Manager John Gibbons was in rare form this morning, holding an easy-going session with a few of us reporters. He allowed us to reaarange the furniture in his office, moving the couch to a more scribe-friendly location, and he gave us each a little gel pack of that Mona Vie stuff Lyle Overbay has been hyping up to try, and we all shared a little Mona Vie toast.

Of course, while we were consuming the antioxident gel packs, Gibby noted that they turned Yankees manager Joe Girardi on to the stuff, too. Ummm, Girardi's been out sick this week. I hope that's foreshadowing for those of us hanging out with Gibby this morning.

We also told Gibby about a minor mishap that took place during batting practice on Saturday. GM J.P. Ricciardi's younger son Mariano -- of Shaun Marcum Spring Training bet fame -- was helping bench coach Brian Butterfield out during infield drills, catching throws from players and tossing the ball up to Butter to hit grounders.

Rod Barajas was manning first for a little while and tossed one back toward Butter behind the third-base line, where the ball bounced smack off the top of Mariano's head. Mariano had turned away for a second and Lyle Overbay joked that he'd go prepare Barajas' release papers.

"We always knew he was accurate," quipped Gibbons, joking about Barajas' throw. "But that's probably not the kid you want to hit. You're better off hitting one of my kids." Nice.

Some lineup changes today: John McDonald makes his first start of the year at short, but Gibbons said it's not because he's Roy Halladay's personal shortstop. Matt Stairs is out, even though a right-hander is on the hill, because Gibby said Stairs hasn't fared well against Josh Beckett and it'll give Stairs two days (off-day on Monday) to rest the hip that dogged him late in the spring.

For the rest, here you go...

Today's lineups:

TORONTO -- Quick turnaround after last night's game. Not on much sleep, still haven't unpacked my suitcases from the trip to New York (or Spring Training for that matter), but where would I rather be than at the ballyard?

I guess the Jays were a little too optimistic thinking that 50K showing last night was going to be a daily thing. The crowd is pretty thin here today. Not much going on pregame either. B.J. Ryan is scheduled to throw in a Minor League game in Florida today, weather permitting, and Toronto is going for a series win over the BoSox.

Jesse Litsch just struck out Julio Lugo to open the game, so I'm running a little behind this morning, obviously. With that in mind, here are...

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (2-2) at BOSTON (3-2)
at 1:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre

RED SOX
Julio Lugo, SS
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Manny Ramirez, LF
Mike Lowell, 3B
J.D. Drew, RF
Jason Varitek, C
Sean Casey, 1B
Coco Crisp, CF

PITCHING: RHP Clay Buchholz

BLUE JAYS
David Eckstein, SS
Matt Stairs, 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

TORONTO -- I'm only in my fourth season of covering Blue Jays games, but I can say without a doubt that tonight's home opener against the Red Sox will be a game I'll always look back on with a smile. It was just an electric atmosphere that you rarely see at Rogers Centre in the middle of the season.

I'm not from Toronto, so I can only recall TV footage of the old SkyDome days when the stadium was packed on a daily basis and the Jays rolled out great teams year in and year out. Tonight was fun, though. Seeing the Jays in the retro powder blues, having 50,000-plus in the seats waving towels, and having the Red Sox in town to top it off.

Now, I typically make an effort not to mention fans who disrupt the game, or those of us trying to work, as to not encourage this type of behavior, but tonight is an exception. From our view in the pressbox, we have a nice angle of a few fights in the upper deck, where at one point the crowd was chanting "Let her stay!" while ushers tried to kick out a female fan who, how shall we say, didn't mind being a little revealing.

Speaking of which, Jeremy Accardo had his ninth-inning save attempt interupted by a pair of fans who ran on the field without their shirts on -- a man and a woman. She kept her undergarments on, but the crowd still gave a loud "Boooo!" when a security guard decided to cover her up with a jacket.

After the game, one reporter kiddingly asked Jays President Paul Godfrey if he hired the girl to run out on the field.

"No, but I'm firing the guy who covered her up," Godfrey joked back.

Accardo was asked if he tried to sneak a peak.

"I watched, if that's what your asking," he said with a smirk.

Said Aaron Hill: "We were wondering when it was going to happen. Doc actually called it. He said, 'What's the ETA of a streaker coming on the field?' I think he said it on the field and then there they go. It's always funny, I guess. It's annoying, because you have to wait. You're on a roll and you get a couple outs and you just want to get it over with. Then you have to wait for guys to have their fun, and girl have her fun."

As for the retro unis, Jays starter Shaun Marcum said, "That was kind of fun to see everyone running around out there like a little Smurf." Nice.

More Accardo on the crowd: "It was awesome. If we could get this crowd every day, it pumps up all the players. The towels and stuff, it makes the game fun. I mean, it's fun every day, but when you have 55,000 behind you and you've got the chants, even the running on the field, the streaking, hopefully a lot of people liked it and they'll come back to some more game."

It was definitely a fun night for all. Oh, and the Jays won, 6-3. We also got our first look at Toronto's new clubhouse, which is GINORMOUS. Lots of places for players to hide from reporters now. I can't even begin to describe it and do it justice. Just take it from Hill:

"This is a country club. Good Lord.Who wouldn't want to come to this place? Every one of these guy's who have been on different teams say this is by far the best place they've been in. I told my wife, I said, 'When you're not here, I might just stay in here the whole time.' This awesome. I'll bring the dog in here and the guitar and I'll have a blast."

Lounging on one of the couches, Alex Rios jokingly said, "I didn't know they had this kind of money to do this." Yeah, should've held out for a bigger deal, Lexi.

Catch you all tomorrow.

TORONTO -- Seeing Aaron Hill standing in the hallway wearing a suit was definitely a surprise when we were heading to the presser to announce Alex Rios signing a six-year deal. As it turns out, both Rios and Hill inked extensions today.

Rios' contract is for six years and $64 million with an option for the 2015 season that could make the deal worth near $80 million. Hill signed a four-year, $12 million deal with club options for the 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons. According to Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi, Toronto has once chance -- prior to the 2011 season -- to choose either a one-year, two-year or three-year extension. It's be $8 mil for one more year, $16 for two or $26 for three.

Ricciardi said he preferred not to comment about any trade clauses, but I believe it's limite no-trades for both players. Ricciardi did note that the players cannot opt out at any point. Rios' deal takes effect next year and Hill's goes into effect immediately. I don't have a breakdown of the annual salaries or bonuses or anything yet.

The presser was quite entertaining, with Vernon Wells, Roy Halladay, Matt Stairs, Lyle Overbay and John McDonald making appearances. We jokingly asked Wells if he had to give up some of his salary to help the club afford the new deals for Rios and Hill. When asked if he was picking up the next tab for a team meal, Rios said that's Vern's department. Nice.

Back with more later...

UPDATE -- 5:46 pm: OK, some clarification on the contracts for Hill and Rios. For Hill, by Opening Day 2011, the Jays need to decided whether or not to pick up three additional years for $26 million, running through 2014. If the team declines, the Jays then has to decide at the end of the '11 season to either decline the option altogether or to pick up either a one-year extension worth $8 million or a two-year worth $16 million. For Rios, his contract is six-years worth $64 million, but there is a $1 million buyout for after the 2014 season. Should Toronto decide to keep Rios around through 2015 with the club option, it'd be another $13.5 million. So essentially, it's either a six-year, $65 million deal or a seven-year, $77.5 million deal. Now that we're clear...

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (1-2) at BOSTON (3-1)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre

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

PITCHING: RHP Shaun Marcum

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

PITCHING: RHP Tim Wakefield

TORONTO -- Out walking the dog this afternoon, braving the cold and rain back home in Toronto, and I saw that the giant Troy Glaus poster that used to cover the windows on the south side of the Rogers Centre has finally been replaced with Scott Rolen.

There's also some new banners hanging on the outside of the ballpark, including one of Tom Cheek that I saw while walking around. Every year it seems like they're adding new little things to try to spice up the Dome. Today, they might officially be adding Alex Rios long-term.

The Jays have called a 3 p.m. ET news conference, likely to announce that Rios has signed a long-term deal. Also happening in today's home opener, the Jays are elevating Roberto Alomar's name to the Level of Excellence.

I'm about to head over to the ballpark, so more to come later. No fun travel stories today. Unfortunately -- for blog purposes anyway -- it was smooth sailing and I slept through the whole flight.

More later...

NEW YORK -- It was good news all around for the Blue Jays here at Yankee Stadium this morning.

Matt Stairs is back in the lineup after being sidelined with a sore left hip, Marco Scutaro remained in the lineup after X-rays showed no problems with his right hand that was struck with a pitch, and Dustin McGowan made his start as planned after being sent back to the team's hotel on Wednesday with a stomach issue.

Before the game, the Globe's Rob MacLeod asked Toronto manager John Gibbons how McGowan's "tummy ache" was, leading to this comical exchange:

"Easy on the sarcasm. Tummy aches are for kids," Gibbons said.

"I'm sorry, what's it for men?" Mac countered.

After a pause, Gibbons replied with, "Stomach ailment."

And I'm doing OK, too. I came mere feet away from being in what would've been a pretty wicked car accident last night. Our esteemed Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch nearly rearended a taxi cab while we were on our way out to meet up with our friend Katy. We avoided certain doom, but I did have a stiff neck the rest of the evening. Thanks, Bry.

Anyway, in honor of my little near-death experience -- OK, I'm exaggerating at this point -- I'm going to bust out a Song of the Day Cathal Kelly style, pointing you all to Pearl Jam's Alive.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (1-1) at NEW YORK (1-1)
at 7:05 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium

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

PITCHING: RHP Dustin McGowan

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

PITCHING: RHP Phil Hughes

NEW YORK -- One day after manager John Gibbons expressed some optimism about Matt Stairs not needing a stint on the 15-day disabled list, Toronto's skipper made it sound like a trip to the DL was now more of a possibility for the outfielder.

Gibbons said the Jays would have Stairs do some running in the outfield before Wednesday's game against the Yankees to test his sore left hip, but he was still out of the starting lineup. He's available off the bench, if needed, but Toronto won't want to keep having him listed as day-to-day, leaving their bench short-handed.

Should Stairs still need more time to heal up, he'd be on the DL retroactive to March 23, when he last played in a spring game, and able to be activated in time for the April 8-10 series against the A's. Gibbons said again that infielder Joe Inglett would be the likely callup if Stairs landed on the self.

Even if Stairs was ready to go, Gibby said he'd probably have stuck with Shannon Stewart, who owns a .295 career average against Yankees starter Mike Mussina. Gregg Zaun was also held out of the lineup, but Gibbons said that was simply to give Rod Barajas some early playing time. Gibbons said Zaun isn't dealing with any health problems or anything.

Dustin McGowan was sent back to the team hotel prior to Wednesday's game due to flu-like symptoms, but the Jays hope he can still make his start on Thursday. If not, Shaun Marcum would move up one day and take his spot.

B.J. Ryan threw in a simulated game in Florida on Wednesday, throwing 21 pitches and hitting as high as 88 mph on the gun. He'll throw again on the fifth and then if he feels OK possibly transition into an every other day program.

USELESS TRIVIA: Jays DH Frank Thomas went 1-for-4 in Tuesday's opener, giving him at leats one hit in 14 consecutive Opening Day games. That's the longest active streak of it's kind in the bigs.

QUOTABLE: "Tonight's the big night. I might get ejected just so I can go watch it." --Gibbons, referring to the hit TV show American Idol

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (0-1) at NEW YORK (1-0)
at 7:05 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
Rod Barajas, C

PITCHING: RHP A.J. Burnett

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

PITCHING: RHP Mike Mussina

*C Jorge Posada was a late scratch with a stiff right shoulder

NEW YORK -- The Blue Jays are currently being introduced and taking their respective places along the third-base chalk line. The tarp came off the field about 45 minutes ago and it's game on -- finally. And so the 2008 season begins for Toronto, which has an early test against the Bronx Bombers.

"We've put out some competitive teams," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said before the game. "But we haven't done enough to get over the top. Until you take that step, it's really beating your head against the wall just talking about it. Sooner or later, you've got to do it."

Well, they've talked the talk. Will they walk the walk?

Matt Stairs is still out of the lineup, but Gibbons said the outfielder is available off the bench and could play tomorrow, if needed. Still no update on the Alex Rios contract talks. That's it for right now for the pregame. I have to try to remember how to write a game story...

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