ANAHEIM -- At the end of April, which was a terribly dismal month for these Blue Birds, a reporter asked manager John Gibbons if he was looking forward to turning the page on the opening month and moving on as soon as possible.

"May flowers," replied Gibby, flashing his signature smirk.

Entering Saturday, the Jays were one win shy of matching their best showing ever in the season's second month. Toronto is a big-league best 20-9 in May -- one win behind the 2003 club record of 21 May victories. For May, the Jays' arms lead the bigs with 20 wins, 14 saves, six shutouts, 234 strikeouts, a 2.91 ERA, 263 innings pitched and a .211 opponents' average.

Toronto has moved five games over .500 for the first time since last September, has a winning record on the road and has pulled within three games of the American League East-leading Rays. The Jays have done all of this while dealing with injuries to shortstops David Eckstein and John McDonald center fielder Vernon Wells, catcher Gregg Zaun and a few relievers.

"What, are you going to ask me if I'm going to look forward to June?" Gibbons said with a laugh on Saturday.

Here's to avoiding the ol' June swoon.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (31-26) at LOS ANGELES (32-24)
at 9:05 p.m. ET at Angel Stadium

BLUE JAYS
Shannon Stewart, LF
Marco Scutaro, 2B
Alex Rios, CF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Matt Stairs, DH
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Rod Barajas, C
Brad Wilkerson, RF
David Eckstein, SS

PITCHING: RHP Shaun Marcum (5-3, 2.64)

ANGELS
Reggie Willits, LF
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Garret Anderson, DH
Vladmir Guerrero, RF
Torii Hunter, CF
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Maicer Izturis, SS
Jeff Mathis, C
Rob Quinlan, 3B

PITCHING: RHP John Lackey (1-1, 2.05)

ANAHEIM -- I'm a little late to the party here, considering it's already the bottom of the first inning here at Angel Stadium. But I had to hammer out a story on Casey Janssen before tending to the ol' blog.

Janssen was on hand on Friday and was very much happy to be back around his fellow Jays. He's still maybe a month or two away from throwing, and he's sitting down with team trainers to discuss his throwing program on Saturday. You can read all about Janssen's visit on bluejays.com in a bit.

Other news today was the absence of second baseman Aaron Hill. A day after saying he didn't need to miss a game, Hill wasn't even at the ballpark. Toronto manager John Gibbons said Hill -- dazed by a mild concussion suffered during a collision with David Eckstein on Thursday -- was still day-to-day and was given permission to stay at the team hotel.

That put Marco Scutaro in the lineup as the two-bagger. That makes five positions on four days for Mr. Scoot. In the series in Oakland, he started in games in left field, at shortstop and at first base and moved over to third base once. Now, enter second base -- the spot he's manned the most in his career.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (30-26) at LOS ANGELES (32-23)
at 10:05 p.m. ET at Angel Stadium

BLUE JAYS
Shannon Stewart, LF
Marco Scutaro, 2B
Alex Rios, CF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Matt Stairs, DH
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Rod Barajas, C
Brad Wilkerson, RF
David Eckstein, SS

PITCHING: RHP Dustin McGowan (3-4, 3.90)

ANGELS
Maicer Izturis, SS
Gary Matthews Jr., LF
Vladimir Guerrero, RF
Garret Anderson, DH
Torii Hunter, CF
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Brandon Moss, 3B
Mike Napoli, C

PITCHING: RHP Jered Weaver (4-5, 4.16)

OAKLAND -- Roy Halladay, fresh off eight innings of work the night before, was lounging at his locker on Thursday morning, looking for a throwing partner for a long-toss session. That dropped some jaws over on the couches, where a few of the relievers were sitting.

"You want to long toss after you threw 180 pitches yesterday?" closer B.J. Ryan said with a laugh. "Are you crazy?"

"I don't feel it yet," said Halladay, sans fatigue despite a Major League high 89 innings and five complete games.

"You're not sore?" said an amazed Ryan. "I don't want to long toss after throwing 18."

Doc never ceases to amaze.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (29-26) at OAKLAND (29-24)
at 3:37 p.m. ET at McAfee Coliseum

JAYS
Shannon Stewart, DH
Aaron Hill, 2B
Alex Rios, CF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Kevin Mench, LF
Marco Scutaro, 1B
Rod Barajas, C
Brad Wilkerson, RF
David Eckstein, SS

PITCHING: RHP Jesse Litsch (6-1, 3.57)

A'S
Jack Hannahan, 3B
Bobby Crosby, SS
Jack Cust, LF
Eric Chavez, DH
Emil Brown, RF
Mark Ellis, 2B
Daric Barton, 1B
Rob Brown, C
Rajai Davis, CF

PITCHING: LHP Dana Eveland

OAKLAND -- Curtis Thigpen arrived from Triple-A Syracuse today, looking quite dapper in a gray suit and sporting a shaggy hairdo that would make the Jonas Brothers proud. After Thigpen walked around to saying his hellos, Jays skip John Gibbons was asked what the reaction would've been had any players strolled in with that type of hairstyle back in his day.

"Nobody would've walked in with a haircut like that. So it's a moot point," Gibbons said, laughing heartily. "Maybe since he was coming to San Francisco, he figured he had to do something special."

All kidding aside, the trendy Mr. Thigpen, whose look would've impressed the Star's Cathal Kelly, was in the Jays' clubhouse because catcher Gregg Zaun is on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his right elbow. The injury's not considered serious, but Toronto can't go forward with only one catcher available.

So, for now, Rod Barajas is the No. 1 and Thig is the No. 2. Robinzon Diaz might've been called up, but he's injured as well. Zaun said he'll stay away from baseball stuff for the next few days, but he believes it shouldn't take long to get back to full strength. He's hoping to be ready to return on June 11 -- his first day eligible.

TORONTO (28-26) at OAKLAND (29-23)
at 10:07 p.m. ET at McAfee Coliseum

JAYS
Shannon Stewart, LF
Aaron Hill, 2B
Alex Rios, CF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Matt Stairs, DH
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Marco Scutaro, SS
Brad Wilkerson, RF
Rod Barajas, C

PITCHING: RHP Roy Halladay

A'S
Jack Hannahan, 3B
Bobby Crosby, SS
Jack Cust, LF
Mike Sweeney, DH
Ryan Sweeney, CF
Emil Brown, RF
Mark Ellis, 2B
Daric Barton, 1B
Kurt Suzuki, C

PITCHING: RHP Rich Harden

OAKLAND -- Frank Thomas came out of the A's clubhouse and onto the field here at McAfee Coliseum today and was greeted by a singing, dancing gorilla, who showered the Big Hurt with confetti and left him with the words: "Don't get mad, get even."

The gorilla was courtest of Thomas' wife and kids in honor of his 40th birthday. Just the Jays luck that they'd land in Oakland for the big Thomas-Toronto reunion on his big day, huh. "Hopefully, he doesn't have a flair for the dramatic," Jays manager John Gibbons quipped.

You can read all about Thomas' words of wisdom on bluejays.com in a bit. The news of the day is: David Eckstein is off the DL, Hector Luna is back in Triple-A, and Gibby intends on keeping Marco Scutaro in the lineup somehow, some way. Today, Scoot was in left field. Eck will probably have some days off in the early goings, giving Marco some more starts there.

Saw the new Indiana Jones at the Drive-in theater in downtown Toronto on Sunday night and I'd say it ranks third among the four -- behind Raiders/Last Crusade and ahead of Temple. Watched Charlie Wilson's War on the plan and was pleasantly surprised. Saw Iron Man in SF last night and thoroughly enjoyed it, though I was more pumped after seeing the newest trailor for The Dark Knight.

Back to baseball...

TORONTO (28-25) at OAKLAND (28-23)
at 10:07 p.m. ET at McAfee Coliseum

JAYS
Shannon Stewart, DH
Aaron Hill, 2B
Alex Rios, CF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Rod Barajas, C
Kevin Mench, RF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Marco Scutaro, LF
David Eckstein, SS

PITCHING: RHP A.J. Burnett

A'S
Jack Hannahan, 3B
Bobby Crosby, SS
Jack Cust, LF
Frank Thomas, DH
Ryan Sweeney, CF
Emil Brown, RF
Mark Ellis, 2B
Daric Barton, 1B
Kurt Suzuki, C

PITCHING: RHP Greg Smith

TORONTO -- Well, Matt Stairs is over his stiff neck problem and back in the Blue Jays' lineup as the designated hitter in the fifth spot. I, on the other hand, have a kink in the right side of my neck that started after my long run along the lakefront last night. Go figure.

Shannon Stewart is back in the leadoff spot for the third straight game. This season, he's led off in six games and has hit .286 with a .448 OBP in those contests. Since Vernon Wells went down with his left wrist injury on May 9, Stewart has hit .318/.404 in 13 games.

And I'm getting goosebumps just thinking abou Lyle Overbay's first at-bat tonight. If he gets a hit, or is plunked by the pitch or draws a walk he will have reached base in a franchise record 12 straight plate appearances! Overbay is currently tied with Tony Fernandez's 1999 record of 11. Can you feel the excitement? All kidding side, that's a pretty solid feat.

Today's lineups:

KANSAS CITY (21-28) at TORONTO (26-25)
at 1:07 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre

ROYALS
David DeJesus, LF
Esteban German, 2B
Alex Gordon, 3B
Jose Guillen, DH
Billy Butler, 1B
John Buck, C
Ross Gload, RF
Tony Pena, SS
Joey Gathright, CF

PITCHING: RHP Gil Meche

BLUE JAYS
Shannon Stewart, LF
Aaron Hill, 2B
Alex Rios, CF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Matt Stairs, DH
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Marco Scutaro, SS
Brad Wilkerson, RF
Rod Barajas, C

PITCHING: RHP Dustin McGowan

UPDATE: It's just past midnight and I'm packing my bags for Cali. Won't be at the ballyard tomorrow -- I'm leaving on a jetplane. Catch you all from the Coast on Tuesday.

TORONTO -- Oh, those Blue Jays are such jokesters. Walked into Toronto's clubhouse after Friday night's game and sitting on an exercise bike in the middle of the room was a plastic skeleton dressed in Jesse Carlson's uniform. A nice prank to pull on Carlson, who in case you hadn't noticed, is quite thin.

With skeletal systems in mind, here's your Saturday afternoon medical report:

VERNON WELLS: Had the brace removed from his broken left wrist on Friday and he put on his glove on Saturday and shagged fly balls during pregame BP. He's started doing hand/forearm exercises and is due to head south to Florida for further rehab, beginning Monday.

DAVID ECKSTEIN: Went 1-for-3 with a run scored as the shortstop for Class A Dunedin on Friday night and was due for another rehab appearance on Saturday. Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi said Eckstein was on target to be activated from the DL on Tuesday, if everything goes according to plan.

JOHN MCDONALD: Took BP on the field on Saturday and could be seen jogging around on his sprained right ankle. Still, Ricciardi said it's been a slower comeback than Eckstein and there's no timetable for Mac's return. On Monday, he'll also head to Florida was Minor League games to follow soon.

BRIAN WOLFE: Remember him? On the DL with a right triceps strain on April 17 and finally due to appear in a Minors game with Class A Dunedin come Sunday. Still no word on a return date.

JEREMY ACCARDO: Landed on the DL with a right forearm strain on May 10, the same day Wells broke his left wrist. Ricciardi noted that Accardo was set to resume playing catch today. Bullpen sessions and sim games are down the road.

MATT STAIRS: Still out with a stiff neck -- three games now. Saw Stairs in the clubhouse today and he said, "It's feeling better." Skip John Gibbons wasn't sure if Stairs was available off the bench, even if it's a tie game in the 15th inning with the bases juiced and a righty on the mound: "Maybe," Gibbons said.

Today's lineups:

KANSAS CITY (21-27) at TORONTO (25-25)
at 1:07 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre

ROYALS
David DeJesus, LF
Mark Grudzielanek, 2B
Alex Gordon, 3B
Jose Guillen, DH
Mark Teahen, RF
Billy Butler, 1B
John Buck, C
Tony Pena, SS
Joey Gathright, CF

PITCHING: RHP Luke Hochevar

BLUE JAYS
Shannon Stewart, DH
Aaron Hill, 2B
Alex Rios, CF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Brad Wilkerson, RF
Marco Scutaro, SS
Gregg Zaun, C
Joe Inglett, LF

PITCHING: RHP Jesse Litsch

TORONTO -- On my walk to the ol' ballyard this afternoon, saw a crew finally removing the gigantic Frank Thomas poster from the windows on the south side of the Rogers Centre. Rumor has it that Alex Rios will soon be replacing the Big Hurt.

With Thomas officially taken down, it seems like a good time to check in with the future Hall of Famer and how he's faring over in Oaktown:

Since joining the A's: .282 average with three home runs and 14 RBIs in 24 games.

The Jays have used nine different players as the designated hitter this season -- most recently Mighty Joe Inglett. Entering Friday's game against the Royals, Toronto's DHs had combined for 18 runs (11th in the American League), six homers (ninth), 23 RBIs (ninth), a .220 average (10th), a .311 on-base percentage (ninth), a .363 slugging percentage (.11th) and 61 total bases (12th).

Those numbers aren't so hot. Then again, those figures all include Thomas, who labored in the season's early going as Toronto's regular DH. On Friday, Kevin Mench started at DH against the Royals, making his first appearance among the starting nine since bruising his right knee by running into a wall on Friday.

Matt Stairs -- Toronto's current primary DH -- was still out with a stiff neck, meaning Inglett got the nod again, but this time as the right fielder. David Eckstein (strained right hip flexor) DHed in his rehab appearance with Class A Dunedin on Thursday night, but was due to man shortstop on Friday. He could be back as soon as Monday, when shortstop John McDonald (sprained right ankle) might begin his Minor League rehab.

Blue Jays center fielder Vernon Wells could be on his way to Florida on Monday as well to begin rehabbing his broken right wrist. He's still a ways off from thinking about playing in a game, though. Without further adieu, here are...

Today's lineups:

KANSAS CITY (21-26) at TORONTO (24-25)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre

ROYALS
David DeJesus, RF
Mark Grudzielanek, 2B
Alex Gordon, 3B
Jose Guillen, LF
Mark Teahen, 1B
Billy Butler, 1B
Miguel Olivo, C
Tony Pena, SS
Joey Gathright, CF

PITCHING: RHP Zach Greinke

BLUE JAYS
Shannon Stewart, LF
Aaron Hill, 2B
Alex Rios, RF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Kevin Mench, DH
Gregg Zaun, C
Marco Scutaro, SS
Joe Inglett, RF

PITCHING: RHP Roy Halladay

COUNT 'EM: The Jays have used 42 different lineups in 50 games

TORONTO -- Could "Hang tough" be the new unofficial team slogan for these Blue Jays? For the second time this season, one A.J. Burnett had the New Kids on the Block 1989 hit "Hangin' Tough" as his pregame warmup music.

Following his start on Thursday night, after reporters breezed through the usual question-answer session about Burnett's outing, the Globe's Jeff Blair got right to the point -- right to the REAL question on everyone's mind.

"Is there a story behind New Kids on the Block?"

Burnett chuckled and said:

"I was just looking for something different. I found it. It was actually just a joke that me and B.J. decided to come out with something and he suggested that. We've stuck with it. Why not? Because we're hangin' tough right now. We're going to get on a roll here soon and hopefully sooner than later. Hang tough."

Burnett said this with all seriousness, though with a smirk the entire time. Over on the other side of the clubhouse, Jays closer B.J. Ryan quickly dismissed being the influence behind Burnett's song choice:

"That was not my suggestion," said Ryan, laughing and shaking his head. "That was all him. I might've encouraged him from the peanut gallery."

Burnett's also sporting a mohawk these days with some zigzag designs buzzed into the shorter hair on the sides of his head. One reporter pointed out that his 'do wasn't really a New Kids kind of look.

"Yeah, it's more Vanilla Ice."

What decade is this again?

TORONTO -- I've got nothing. That being the case, I'm going to just throw some stats out here to fill some space on the blog today. That's how exciting life is at Rogers Centre these days.

THE GOOD

• Since taking over at short for Davohn EckDonald, Marco Scutaro has hit .333 with a .414 on-base percentage in 15 games
• Aaron Hill entered Thursday riding a season-high nine-game hitting streak, over which he's hit .394 with four multi-hit games
• Catcher Rod Barajas has an eight-game hitting streak, over which he's hit .423 with two homers and seven RBIs
• Among American League rotations, the Jays lead in innings (301 1/3), complete games (four) and are second in strikeouts (233) and opponents' batting average (.236)
• The Jays bullpen leads the AL with a 3.09 ERA. Lefty Brian Tallet has not allowed a run in 10 straight outings (11 innings)
• Catcher Gregg Zaun has reached base safely in 28 of his 32 starts this season
• Seven of Lyle Overbay's last 15 hits have gone for extra bases

THE BAD

• The Jays are 10-11 at home and have lost their past three at Rogers Centre. In those three losses, have hit just .156 with runners in scoring position and have stranded 33 runners
• Jays are dead last in the Majors with a .221 average with runners in scoring position and rank 24th with a .212 average with RISP with two outs
• With men on third base, the Jays own a .200 average and with men on third with two outs are batting just .160
• The Jays' batters have struck out 270 times (third-fewest in the AL) and have drawn 178 walks (fourth-most in the AL), but have grounded into a Major League-leading 58 double plays and have collected a Major League-low 111 extra-base hits

THE UGLY

• Vernon Wells broke his left wrist on May 9 and subsequently landed on the disabled list and is potentially out until around the All-Star break. Even so, here on May 22, he STILL leads the Jays with 24 RBIs. The next closest Jays are Alex Rios and Aaron Hill with 18. Amazing.

Ah, there it is again: "Hangin' Tough" by the New Kids on the Block as A.J. Burnett's warm-up music. Unbelievable. Oh, Matt Stairs is out with a stiff neck, leaving Joe Inglett with the DH duties today out of the nine hole in the lineup. Kevin Mench (bruised right knee) is still out, but available off the bench, if needed, said skip John Gibbons.

Today's lineups:

LOS ANGELES (28-20) at TORONTO (23-25)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre

ANGELS
Maicer Izturis, SS
Gary Matthews Jr., DH
Vladimir Guerrero, RF
Garret Anderson, LF
Torii Hunter, CF
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Jeff Mathis, C
Brandon Wood, 3B
Sean Rodriguez, 2B

PITCHING: RHP Ervin Santana

BLUE JAYS
Brad Wilkerson, RF
Aaron Hill, 2B
Alex Rios, RF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Shannon Stewart, LF
Rod Barajas, C
Marco Scutaro, SS
Joe Inglett, DH

PITCHING: RHP A.J. Burnett

TORONTO -- The Barry Bonds talk that is. It ain't happening. Bonds isn't coming to Toronto. Everyone needs to get that clear. OK, to be fair, it wasn't the fan base that went crazy on the Bonds issue this time. The latest comes courtesy of Torii Hunter and TSN ... sigh.

From Off the Record:

"I think Barry Bonds is a big pick up for a lot of teams," Hunter told OTR host Michael Landsberg when asked about recent rumours suggesting the home run king might fit in Toronto.  "If we needed a DH, I think Barry Bonds would be a great fit. I mean, he's one of the best hitters in the game. Why not have him?

"On the field he's one of the best players to ever play this game, so why not? The Blue Jays should go after him."

When asked about how Bonds might affect the Blue Jays' clubhouse, Hunter said it was nothing to worry about.

"I think he'd be a good fit. It's a different scene, a different clubhouse. That's Vernon Wells' clubhouse, you've got to respect that.. Trust me, he's a great guy, I know him pretty well. I think he's a pretty good guy in his own way.  You've just got to get to know Barry."

Rumored to be a fit? Is that possible? I've heard of rumors that teams are interested in someone or rumors that a player was heading to a certain team, but rumored to be a fit? Well, sure, I'll start the rumor that Bonds would be a fit with a lot of teams -- maybe every club in the American League.

Moving on...

David Eckstein (strained right hip flexor) was a little sore after his rehab appearance in Monday and sat out of games on Tuesday and will do so again today. He'll play on Thursday and will need at least two games in a row before rejoining Toronto.

Brian Wolfe (strained right triceps) has thrown a couple sim games and is another week or two away. Jeremy Accardo (right forearm strain) hasn't started throwing yet. John McDonald (sprained right ankle) will be heading out on a rehab stint some time within the next week.

Toronto manager John Gibbons also noted that he doesn't plan on moving slumping center fielder Alex Rios out of the No. 3 spot of the lineup just yet. Gibbons likes Brad Wilkerson and Aaron Hill in the Nos. 1-2 slots, respectively, and is hoping Rios can swing his way out of this skid.

Today's lineups:

LOS ANGELES (27-20) at TORONTO (23-24)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre

ANGELS
Chone Figgins, 3B
Gary Matthews Jr., RF
Vladimir Guerrero, DH
Garret Anderson, LF
Torii Hunter, CF
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Mike Napoli, C
Sean Rodriguez, 2B
Maicer Izturis, SS

PITCHING: RHP Jon Garland

BLUE JAYS
Brad Wilkerson, RF
Aaron Hill, 2B
Alex Rios, RF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Matt Stairs, DH
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Shannon Stewart, LF
Gregg Zaun, C
Marco Scutaro, SS

PITCHING: RHP Shaun Marcum

TORONTO -- So Roy Halladay and Jesse Litsch have been used in relief? The Jays are a .500 team again? Toronto had a winning record on a road trip? Gee, I guess I missed a whole heckuva a lot in the past week.

The trip back to Chicago was swell. My little brother-in-law is all married up and probably kicking it on a beach in the Bahamas as I write. Must be nice. I got to watch my little nephew and niece kick butt in Karate class and enjoyed quality Chi-town pizza on three occasions.

But enough about me, how 'bout them Blue Jays? They drop three in a row in Cleveland and then go 6-1 on the rest of the trip, sweeping in Minny and taking two in Philly. In those six wins, the Jays hit .326 with runners in scoring position. How's that for a change?

With the day off and the rain out and doubleheader and everything else, the Jays have switched up their rotation some. Dustin McGowan goes tonight, followed by Shaun Marcum, A.J. Burnett, Halladay and Litsch. Halladay might just be the best No. 4 starter in baseball.

John McDonald is a little behind on his recovery from a sprained right ankle, apparently. Jays skip John Gibbons said today that Johnny Mac might be able to head out on a rehab assignment sometime within the next week, though Mac's eligible to be activated on Thursday.

David Eckstein, on the other hand, is on pace to be ready to come off the DL on Thursday. Eckstein strained his right hip flexor the same day as Mac's sprained ankle -- May 6. Eckstein is already rehabbing and he had an assignment with Class A Dunedin on Monday, going 1-for-3 with a double and a walk.

QUOTABLE: "Why is there such a drop-off in offense? It's alarming. It really is alarming. The first two months have been eye-opening in terms of offense around the league."
-- Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi

Today's lineups:

LOS ANGELES (26-20) at TORONTO (23-23)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre

ANGELS
Maicer Izturis, 3B
Gary Matthews Jr., LF
Vladimir Guerrero, RF
Garret Anderson, DH
Torii Hunter, CF
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Mike Napoli, C
Sean Rodriguez, 2B
Erik Aybar, SS

PITCHING: RHP John Lackey

BLUE JAYS
Brad Wilkerson, RF
Aaron Hill, 2B
Alex Rios, RF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Matt Stairs, DH
Shannon Stewart, LF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Gregg Zaun, C
Marco Scutaro, SS

PITCHING: RHP Dustin McGowan

CHI-TOWN -- Back home in the Chicagoland area this week to be on hand for my bro-in-law's wedding. So, you guys are just going to have to live without Bastian bloggage until the Jays return to Toronto. I've already had me some real South Side deep dish pizza and it was glorious.

As for that doubleheader the other day, I doubt Ernie Banks had Cleveland in mind when he famously said "Let's play two." Although, if you're going to watch a double feature, you can't really ask for much more than those two games. Two really good, quick ballgames.

The pitching was outstanding. That might've been one of the best, if not the best, outing of Shaun Marcum's young career. To outduel Cliff Lee the way Marcum did was really fun to watch. And I got to witness only the 14th unassisted triple play in baseball history, which was pretty sweet in its own right.

So, for those of you who were wondering how I was hanging in there that night, I was doing just dandy. Now, if it were a Jays/Yanks doubleheader where it might've been 8-9 hours of baseball, it might've been a different story. The best part was flying to Toronto early Tuesday morning, hopping in the car and driving 8 hours to Chicago and arriving Tuesday night.

In Jays' land, looks like David Purcey will be called up for Friday's start in Philly. No word yet on who will be sent down to clear room. And who would've thunk the Rays would be in first place in the American League East on May 14? It's a crazy world we're living in.

~JB

CLEVELAND --  No, there wasn't anything major going on. No managerial or coaching changes or anything like that. No panic button being pressed. Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi showed up -- as planned -- on Monday at Progressive Field.

Ricciardi is going to accompany the Jays on their trip to Minnesota, though the GM won't be in Philadelphia with the team. He just got back from watching one of his sons play in a doubleheader and, what do ya know, he gets to watch his team play a double dip against the Tribe on Monday.

Ricciardi met with reporters briefly and was asked if there was anything else he could possibly do to try to imrpove Toronto's laboring lineup. So far this season, the Jays have released Frank Thomas, signed Brad Wilkerson and traded for Kevin Mench. Beyond those tweaks?

"I think we're done. This is our team," Ricciardi said. "These are the guys we've made our bed with and I don't really see us being able to do a lot at this point. We've tried to do some little things in getting Mench and Wilkerson in here to try to shake up the lineup a little bit and maybe give Gibby a few more options, but I really don't see us being able to go out and do anything major at this point."

There you go. As for some injury updates, an MRI revealed a mild strain in Jeremy Accardo's right forearm and Ricciardi said the pitcher won't begin throwing again for at least two weeks. Righty Brian Wolfe -- also on the DL, but with a right triceps strain -- has starting playing light catch, but Ricciardi wasn't sure when he'd be back on a mound. Wolfe will join Accardo in Florida for rehab work in about a week.

Today's lineups:

GAME 1

TORONTO (17-21) at CLEVELAND (18-18)
at 4:05 p.m. ET at Progressive Field

BLUE JAYS
Brad Wilkerson, RF
Aaron Hill, 2B
Alex Rios, CF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Matt Stairs, DH
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Marco Scutaro, SS
Rod Barajas, C
Joe Inglett, LF

PITCHING: RHP A.J. Burnett

INDIANS
Grady Sizemore, CF
Jamey Carroll, 2B
David Dellucci, LF
Victor Martinez, C
Ben Francisco, RF
Travis Hafner, DH
Ryan Garko, 1B
Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
Casey Blake, 3B

PITCHING: RHP Fausto Camona

Well, that was fast...Jays lose, 3-0. Haven't scored in 22 straight innings.

GAME 2

TORONTO (17-22) at CLEVELAND (19-18)
at 7:10 p.m. ET at Progressive Field

BLUE JAYS
Shannon Stewart, LF
Aaron Hill, 2B
Alex Rios, CF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Kevin Mench, RF
Marco Scutaro, DH
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Gregg Zaun, C
Jorge Velandia, SS

PITCHING: RHP Shaun Marcum

INDIANS
Grady Sizemore, CF
Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B
Jhonny Peralta, SS
Victor Martinez, 1B
Franklin Gutierrez, RF
Travis Hafner, DH
Kelly Shoppach, C
Jason Tyner, LF
Andy Marte, 3B

PITCHING: LHP Cliff Lee

COUNT 'EM: 34 different Jays lineups in 40 games

CLEVELAND -- Well, here we go again. Last year, the Jays had 12 players undergo 13 separate surgeries. This year, the injuries are starting to pile up once again, though only Casey Janssen has had to go under the knife.

The latest blow came on Saturday, when the Jays' learned center fielder Vernon Wells would miss six to eight weeks after fracturing his left wrist on a diving catch a night earlier. Wells also tweaked his right hammy, but that issue is moot now.

Toronto also placed reliever Jeremy Accardo on the 15-day DL with a strained right forearm. Wells decided to stick with the club on this road trip, while Accardo has already left for Florida, where he'll begin treatment in preparation for a rehab assignment.

Mighty Joe Inglett never got on his plane out of Cleveland. He's was optioned and recalled without ever leaving Ohio. With Accardo out, the Jays purchased the contract of Armando Benitez. To clear room on the 40, Tracy Thorpe was designated for assignment.

For now, Alex Rios assumes center field and Brad Wilkerson and Kevin Mench can handle left and right field. Shannon Stewart will also be worked into left field on occasion, though he was serving as the DH on Saturday.

Progressive Field has been a nightmarish destination for Toronto. The Jays have gone 1-12 at the Tribe's home park, dating back to 2004. Now, Toronto loses arguably its best offensive performer and a Gold Glove center fielder in Wells in Cleveland.

"This place hasn't been real kind to us," manager John Gibbons said.

Aside from the necessary lineup tweaks in light of Wells' injury, Gibbons also gave a day off to slumping second baseman Aaron Hill.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (17-20) at CLEVELAND (17-18)
at 7:05 p.m. ET at Progressive Field

BLUE JAYS
Alex Rios, CF
Brad Wilkerson, RF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Kevin Mench, LF
Shannon Stewart, DH
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Marco Scutaro, SS
Gregg Zaun, C
Jorge Velandia, 2B

PITCHING: RHP Dustin McGowan

INDIANS
Grady Sizemore, CF
Jamey Carroll, 2B
David Dellucci, LF
Victor Martinez, C
Ben Francisco, RF
Travis Hafner, DH
Ryan Garko, 1B
Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
Casey Blake, 3B

PITCHING: LHP Aaron Laffey

COUNT 'EM: 32 different Jays lineups in 38 games

CLEVELAND -- Those clubbies sure do have a sense of humor. When newly acquired Blue Jay Kevin Mech arrived at Progressive Field today, he found his locker inside the clubhouse was situated directed next to one Roy Halladay.

It was Mench who drilled a line drive back up the middle on July 9, 2005, breaking Halladay's leg and ending the ace's season. Halladay might've been on his way to a second American League Cy Young Award that year.

It was obviously an attempt by the Indians to try to get into Halladay's head.

So, Mench and Brad Wilkerson -- both picked up by the Jays today, in case you hadn't heard by now -- were both on hand and in the lineup today. Mench can play outfield, spend time at DH and maybe man some first. Wilkerson can play outfield and first, as well.

This begs the question, though, who's the odd man out when David Eckstein and John McDonald come off the disabled list? Jorge Valendia is probably headed back to Triple-A when one returns, but another spot will have to be cleared. I guess that makes this a two-week evaluation period of sorts.

Would the Jays dare rid of Shannon Stewart after giving him the job over Reed Johnson at the end of spring? Would Toronto move either Eckstein or McDonald and risk thinning out the infield depth? Or, will it be one of Mench or Wilkerson to go when that time comes? It's certainly a topic of debate for now.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (17-19) at CLEVELAND (16-18)
at 7:05 p.m. ET at Progressive Field

BLUE JAYS
Alex Rios, RF
Aaron Hill, 2B
Scott Rolen, 3B
Vernon Wells, CF
Kevin Mench, DH
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Rod Barajas, C
Brad Wilkerson, LF
Marco Scutaro, SS

PITCHING: RHP Roy Halladay

INDIANS
Grady Sizemore, CF
Franklin Gutierrez, RF
David Dellucci, LF
Victor Martinez, C
Jhonny Peralta, SS
Travis Hafner, DH
Ryan Garko, 1B
Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B
Casey Blake, 3B

PITCHING: LHP C.C. Sabathia

COUNT 'EM: 31 different Jays lineups in 36 games

TORONTO -- I'm not at the ballpark today, but I just received word that both shorstops David Eckstein (strained right hip flexor) and John McDonald (sprained right ankle) have been placed on the 15-day disabled list. Neither infielder is seriously injured, but the Jays can keep running out two men short until they're completely recovered.

For the time being, the Jays have recalled Mighty Joe Inglett from Triple-A Syracuse. I'm told a subsequent move will be coming on Friday. There's been rumblings that the Jays have been scouring the market for a right-handed bat. Robinzon Diaz would've been an option, but he's out 2-3 weeks with an ankle injury all his own.

I'll catch you all from Cleveland tomorrow.

TORONTO -- One day after Jays shortstops David Eckstein and John McDonald both left a game with injuries, the pair showed just how scrappy they really are. Neither Eckstein nor McDonald were placed on the disabled list.

McDonald, who was on crutches as recent as this morning after spraining his right ankle, was walking around fine before the game and even hit some baseballs off a tee. Eckstein was at a local hospital undergoing an MRI on his strained hip flexor, but was potentially available for Wednesday's game.

"The way Johnny Mac went down, I thought a sniper got him from the fifth deck," Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi joked. "Today, they're better than I thought. The powers of modern medicine."

Just in case, the Jays promoted shortstop Jorge Velandia from Triple-A Syracuse, though Marco Scutaro will man short until either Eckstein or McDonald are ready to come back. Ricciardi said the Jays would wait until Thursday to determine whether or not Johnny Mac would need a trip to the DL.

"Going on the DL is the last thing I want," McDonald said. "The more minutes and hours that J.P. and [manager John Gibbons] will give me to get healthy and get back on the field I'll take. But I understand that they've got a lot of other things to think about besides my health."

To clear room on the active roster for Velandia, the Jays optioned Adam Lind back to Triple-A Syracuse, where he can get regular playing time. Lind -- 1-for-19 with Toronto -- was receiving little action since Shannon Stewart was named the regular left fielder. No need to clear room on the 40-man, since Frank Thomas' dismissal left the roster at 39.

Today's lineups:

TAMPA BAY (17-15) at TORONTO (16-18)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre

RAYS
Akinori Iwamura, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
B.J. Upton, CF
Carlos Pena, 1B
Evan Longoria, 3B
Eric Hinske, DH
Dioner Navarro, C
Gabe Gross, RF
Jason Bartlett, SS

PITCHING: RHP Matt Garza

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

PITCHING: RHP Shaun Marcum

TORONTO -- It's amazing! The Blue Jays have rolled out an identical lineup for the second game in a row. That makes this lineup the second-most used order of the season -- tied with two other variations. Consider that, of the 28 different lineups used, the one that's been used the most has only been penned four times.

"I don't know how many more times I can change it, to be honest with you," Gibbons joked.

On a different note, the barking that was coming from the White Sox side in the ninth inning last night apparently was Chicago trying to get the umpires to follow ump Bruce Dreckman's lead, calling a balk on B.J. Ryan. Dreckman called a balk on Ryan in Boston in the ninth on Thursday, nearly costing Toronto a win.

Gibbons believes that, ever since Dreckman made that call, ruling that Ryan didnt come set in his delivery, other teams may be watching the lefty a little more closely.

"Oh yeah. I'm sure theyre looking for it now. Definitely," Gibbons said. "I think that's what [the Sox] were screaming about yesterday, is that right? I still don't think the umpire would call that with the game on the line and the closer in the game. Those teams may be looking for it, but if they didn't do it yesterday, I have a hard time believing they'll do it."

The bottom line is Ryan has pitched this way his whole career. He's consistent with his delivery and calling him on it now is a little ridicilous. A balk is an intentional attempt to deceive and when Ryan does the same thing on every pitch, I hardly think it can really be throwing too many hitters or baserunners off.

But I digress...

Talked to David Eckstein today and he gave us this reaction to the Jays decision to use John McDonald as a late-inning defensive replacement in close games:

"Everyone knows that feelings don't really matter in this scenario. The only thing that matters is going out there and winning games. That's the decision they made and, being a professional, you just have to go out there and keep trying to do your best."

So, whether of not Eckstein agrees with the decision is a moot point, because: "It doesn't matter. We're here to win games and that's the only thing that matters," he said.

Today's lineups:

TAMPA BAY (16-15) at TORONTO (16-17)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre

RAYS
Akinori Iwamura, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
B.J. Upton, CF
Carlos Pena, 1B
Evan Longoria, 3B
Eric Hinske, DH
Dioner Navarro, C
Gabe Gross, RF
Jason Bartlett, SS

PITCHING: RHP Andy Sonnanstine

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

PITCHING: RHP A.J. Burnett

THIS JUST IN: Mike Wilner of The Fan 590 has just confirmed that "Hangin' Tough" by the New Kids on the Block, which was blaring out of the Roger Centre's sound system while A.J. Burnett warmed up, was in fact requested by Mr. Burnett. Amazing. Or not...

TORONTO -- Oh the sights you'll see when running along the Toronto lakefront. Beautiful day out today, so I got in a cool five miles and stopped to say hello to Alan Ashby and his wife, waved as I jogged by Roy Halladay and strength and conditioning coach Donovan Santas and said hi to Marty Pevey later on when I was walking my dog.

Over at the ballyard, the Jays ran out yet another lineup. (See what I did there? Sticking with the running theme?) The cool new thing to do is to move Shannon Stewart into the No. 2 hole and slide Master of Grit David Eckstein to the No. 9 spot. That makes, ready for it? 28 different lineup in 33 games. That's an 85-percent new lineup rate.

"It's just a different look," Jays skip John Gibbons said. "We've tinkered here and there to try some different things. We'll just try this and see how this works."

Gibby said he'd try this lineup for a few days to see if it amounts to anything. He believes getting Stewart in the mix on a more regular basis can help get his bat going. Gibbons added that "it's too early" to be thinking this switch means Adam Lind (1-for-19 since being called up) might have a trip back to Triple-A in store.

There's been a whole heckuva lot of lineups used, but there have been factors involved -- this isn't just Gibby flip-flopping John Kerry style. Consider that the Jays once employed a guy named Frank Thomas, shuffling people in and out of DH since he was released. Scott Rolen was injured and Toronto mixed and matched at third until he came back.

Once upon a time there was a platoon in left field...so there's been things forcing Gibbons' hand some. Not to mention the offense's struggles, leading Gibbons to switch things up to try to find some sort of consistency. So 28 out of 33 is high, no doubt, but it's not really too surprising when you think about it.

In other news -- I hate that segue -- Gibbons said that the Jays can now use B.J. Ryan in consecutive games. You probably won't see him in three games in a row yet and you won't see him used in multi-inning saves this year, but this is good news for the Jays. No more closer by committee every other day.

Today's lineups:

CHICAGO (14-15) at TORONTO (15-17)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre

WHITE SOX
Orlando Cabrera, SS
Carlos Quentin, LF
Jim Thome, DH
Paul Konerko, 1B
Jermaine Dye, RF
Nick Swisher, CF
*Pablo Ozuna, 3B
Juan Uribe, 2B
Toby Hall, C

PITCHING: RHP Javier Vazquez

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

PITCHING: RHP Dustin McGowan

*Sox 3B Joe Crede scratched with a migraine

TORONTO -- All that preseason complaining by fans about how the Blue Jays needed a lefty in their rotation and, as it turns out, Toronto already has one. Sitting in the dugout this morning, watching Jesse Litsch signing autographs...with his left hand.

Turns out Litsch does everything left handed except pitch. When asked about his amphibious nature -- as Yogi Berra would call it -- Litsch just smiled and shrugged. He said when he was a kid, he picked up a pencil with his left hand and a baseball with his right. That's just the way it's always been.

Speaking of Litsch's right hand, his outing last night marked the 17th quality start by the Jays rotation this year and the ninth in a row. The 17 QS rank second in the American League. Since April 26, the Jays' pitchers have held batters to a .164 average and posted a 1.17 ERA -- tops in the league in both categories.

Not much else going on, so without further adieu, here are...

Today's lineups:

CHICAGO (14-14) at TORONTO (14-17)
at 1:07 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre

WHITE SOX
Nick Swisher, CF
Orlando Cabrera, SS
Jim Thome, DH
Paul Konerko, 1B
Jermaine Dye, RF
A.J. Pierzynski, C
Carlos Quentin, LF
Joe Crede, 3B
Pablo Ozuna, 2B

PITCHING: RHP Jose Contreras

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

PITCHING: RHP Roy Halladay

TORONTO -- Back at the ballyard after a lovely day off, though part of me wishes I was on hand for that gem by Shaun Marcum that lasted only 2 hours and 10 minutes. That kind of outing is a sportswriter's dream.

Not much going on here today. A scheduled day off for Third Base Jesus: Scott Rolen (little shout out to the boys of Tao there). Jays skipper John Gibbons discussed such a day off for TBJ a few days ago, so it's no surprise.

Gibbons said he hasn't been surprised by Rolen's hot start at the plate, but the third baseman has impressed the manager with his strong play in the field. Specifically, Rolen has impressed with his throwing, considering he's coming back from that gruesome right middle finger injury.

"It's still hanging there," quipped Gibbons, joking about Rolen's once-mangled digit.

STAT OF THE DAY: Since May 13, 2007, Shaun Marcum ranks second in the American League with a .230 opponents' batting average. Since joining the Jays' rotation last year, Marcum has gone 14-6 with a 3.65 ERA. That's good enough for a .700 winning percentage, the third-best mark in the AL in that time period.

Today's lineups:

CHICAGO (14-13) at TORONTO (13-17)
at 1:07 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre

WHITE SOX
Nick Swisher, CF
Orlando Cabrera, SS
Jim Thome, DH
Paul Konerko, 1B
Jermaine Dye, RF
A.J. Pierzynski, C
Carlos Quentin, LF
Joe Crede, 3B
Pablo Ozuna, 2B

PITCHING: RHP John Danks

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

PITCHING: RHP Jesse Litsch

BOSTON -- That was the response from Blue Jays manager John Gibbons this afternoon, when asked how happy he was to be beyond the season's first month. Here's a quick glance at the April that was:

• Went 11-17 in April, marking the club's first losing April since it went 7-15 in '04
• Finished April in fifth place in the East, the first time that's happened since '04
• Own a .423 winning percentage since 2002 in March/April, the third worst mark in the AL
• Rank 14th in the AL with a .211 average with runners in scoring position, the worst such mark in club history for the opening month
• Boast a .250 team average for April (12th in the AL), lowest in April by the Jays since 1998
• With a loss on Thursday, the Jays' 1-8 record on their current trip would represent the worst road trip of more than six games in team history
• Played 10 one-run games in April, tied for the most in the AL. Went 2-8 in those games.

Here's hoping May goes a little better for the Blue Jays. One area the team did do well was pitching, posting a 3.75 ERA as a staff in April. That ERA is the best in April by the Jays since 2001.

Some minor items today: Gibbons stacked the lineup with right-handers to face Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. Marco Scutaro was at first base and Shannon Stewart in left. The only lefty in the lineup was Matt Stairs, but the way he's hitting lately, you can't keep him out.

Gibby also noted that he plans on using the DH spot to help slide guys in and out to provide days off every now and then ("I think it helps the team."). You might see that this weekend with Scott Rolen, though Gibbons noted he may just give Rolen a complete day off. "I'm not going to kill him right out of the gates," Gibbons said.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (11-17) at BOSTON (17-12)
at 7:05 p.m. ET at Fenway Park

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

PITCHING: RHP A.J. Burnett

RED SOX
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
David Ortiz, DH
Manny Ramirez, LF
Mike Lowell, 3B
Brandon Moss, RF
Coco Crisp, CF
Jed Lowrie, SS
Kevin Cash, C

PITCHING: RHP Tim Wakefield