Tampa Bay (24-32) at Toronto (28-29)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre

Today’s lineups:

DEVIL RAYS
B.J. Upton, CF
Brendan Harris, SS
Carl Crawford, LF
Ty Wigginton, 3B
Carlos Pena, 1B
Delmon Young, RF
Jorge Cantu, DH
Dioner Navarro, C
Josh Wilson, 2B

PITCHING: LHP Scott Kazmir

BLUE JAYS
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Frank Thomas, DH
Troy Glaus, 3B
Aaron Hill, 2B
Jason Phillips, C
Adam Lind, LF
Royce Clayton, SS
Curtis Thigpen, 1B

PITCHING: RHP Tomo Ohka

NOTES: Toronto designated RHP Ismael Ramirez for assignment to clear room on the 40-man roster for RHP Jordan De Jong, who had his contract selected from Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday. RHP Brian Wolfe was optioned back to Triple-A. … Thigpen was making his Major League debut. … De Jong was 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA in 13 games with Syracuse. … The Jays would prefer to give C Sal Fasano the day off on Wednesday after he mildly pulled a groin on Tuesday, but the veteran catcher is available off the bench in an emergency. … Tuesday night marked the first time since 1974 that a player drew a leadoff walk and a game-winning walk in the same inning. Toronto’s Aaron Hill did so in the 12-11 win over the D-Rays.

Tampa Bay (24-31) at Toronto (27-29)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre

Today’s lineups:

DEVIL RAYS
Elijah Dukes, CF
B.J. Upton, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Greg Norton, DH
Carlos Pena, 1B
Ty Wigginton, 3B
Delmon Young, RF
Raul Casanova, C
Brendan Harris, SS

PITCHING: RHP Andy Sonnanstine

BLUE JAYS
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Matt Stairs, 1B
Frank Thomas, DH
Troy Glaus, 3B
Aaron Hill, 2B
Adam Lind, LF
Sal Fasano, C
John McDonald, SS

PITCHING: RHP Roy Halladay

NOTES: The Jays called up C Curtis Thigpen to fill Lyle Overbay’s spot on the roster. Toronto manager John Gibbons said Thigpen will likely start at first base on Wednesday. Gibbons added that the Jays will reevaluate their roster before heading to the West coast, which could mean Thigpen’s promotion may be temporary. … Overbay underwent surgery on his right hand on Tuesday in Baltimore, where the surgery was performed by the same doctor who operated on C Gregg Zaun’s hand. … Zaun will suit up for Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday ans is on schedule to join the Jays in L.A. and be activated from the DL on Friday. … RHP Shaun Marcum is still OK to start on Saturday after experiencing back tightness during his start on Sunday. … To clear room on the 40-man roster for Thigpen, Toronto transferred RHP John Thomson to the 60-day DL.

QUOTABLE: "He’s a Texan. That’s all that matters." — Gibbons, on Thigpen

Just when he was starting to feel better at the plate, Lyle Overbay gets struck on the right hand with a pitch from Chicago’s John Danks. An X-ray revealed a fracture and Overbay is expected to miss 4-6 weeks as a result. In the meantime, Matt Stairs will probably get the bulk of the playing time at first, and the Jays will call someone up from Triple-A to help out.

Overbay, who has played in at least 157 games in each of the past three years, has never been on the DL in his career. But, he’s an unfortunate member of the 2007 Toronto Blue Jays clubhouse.

Take a look at the injury woes that have plagued the Jays this season:

RHP Roy Halladay — DL stint in May after emergency appendectomy
3B Troy Glaus — DL stint in April with left heel issue. Troublesome left hammy.
LF Reed Johnson — On DL after back surgery. Possible return this month.
RHP Brandon League — On DL with shoulder issue. Possible return this month.
C Gregg Zaun — On DL with broken hand. Could return later this week.
1B Lyle Overbay — On DL with broken hand. Possibly out until mid-July.
RHP John Thomson — On DL with shoulder issue. No timetable announced.
RHP Victor Zambrano — On DL with forearm issue. No timetable announced.
LHP Gustavo Chacin — On DL with shoulder issue. No timetable announced.
LHP B.J. Ryan — On DL after elbow surgery. Out until 2008.
LHP Davis Romero — On DL after left shoulder surgery. Out until 2008.
CF Vernon Wells — Missed time earlier this year with flu symptoms.
C Jason Phillips — Missed time earlier this year with flu symptoms.
SS Royce Clayton — Missed time with left foot and back issues.
MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian — Missed one game with a back injury.

Did I miss anything? At least there’s no staph infections yet.

HE SAID IT: "It’s almost comical when you start thinking about all the guys who have gone down. I’ve never seen anything like this." — Overbay

Chicago (25-26) at Toronto (26-29)
at 1:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre

Today’s lineups:

WHITE SOX
Jerry Owens, CF
Tadahito Iguchi, 2B
Jim Thome, DH
Jermaine Dye, RF
Paul Konerko, 1B
A.J. Pierzynski, C
Joe Crede, 3B
Rob Mackowiak, LF
Juan Uribe, SS

PITCHING: LHP John Danks

BLUE JAYS
Alex Rios, RF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Vernon Wells, CF
Troy Glaus, 3B
Frank Thomas, DH
Aaron Hill, 2B
Jason Phillips, C
Royce Clayton, SS
Adam Lind, LF

PITCHING: RHP Shaun Marcum

NOTES: RHP Brandon League (60-day DL with shoulder issue) is scheduled to make a rehab appearance with Double-A New Hampshire on Sunday. … Toronto has switched up its upcoming rotation. For the Tampa Bay series, the Jays will send Roy Halladay (Tues.), Tomo Ohka (Wed.) and A.J. Burnett (Thurs.) to the mound, with Dustin McGowan kicking off the Interleague series in L.A. on Friday. Toronto wanted to give Burnett an extra day of rest, considering he’s thrown 242 pitches over his past two starts. Ohka hasn’t started since May 26.

Chicago (25-25) at Toronto (25-29)
at 1:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre

Today’s lineups:

WHITE SOX
Jerry Owens, CF
Tadahito Iguchi, 2B
Jim Thome, DH
Jermaine Dye, RF
Paul Konerko, 1B
Rob Mackowiak, LF
Joe Crede, 3B
Juan Uribe, SS
Toby Hall, C

PITCHING: RHP Jose Contreras

BLUE JAYS
Howie Clark, 3B
Alex Rios, CF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Frank Thomas, DH
Matt Stairs, RF
Aaron Hill, 2B
Adam Lind, LF
Royce Clayton, SS
Sal Fasano, C

PITCHING: RHP Dustin McGowan

Chicago (24-25) at Toronto (25-28)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre

Today’s lineups:

WHITE SOX
Jerry Owens, CF
Tadahito Igucki, 2B
Jim Thome, DH
Jermaine Dye, RF
Paul Konerko, 1B
A.J. Pierzynski, C
Alex Cintron, 3B
Rob Mackowiak, LF
Juan Uribe, SS

PITCHING: RHP Javier Vazquez

BLUE JAYS
Alex Rios, RF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Vernon Wells, CF
Troy Glaus, 3B
Frank Thomas, DH
Matt Stairs, LF
Aaron Hill, 2B
Jason Phillips, C
John McDonald, SS

PITCHING: RHP A.J. Burnett

NOTES: SS Royce Clayton remained on the bench with a sore left foot, but Toronto manager John Gibbons said he would likely be in the lineup again on Saturday. … A second MRI on LHP Gus Chacin’s throwing shoulder revealed nothing new this week. The southpaw could possibly resume throwing next week. … Elias Sports Bureau, whose records only go back as far as 1900, say the Jays’ 2-0 win over the Sox on Thursday marked the first time since 1900 that a team won without ever having a runner on base. Toronto had two solo homers and nothing else.

Chicago (24-24) at Toronto (24-28)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre

Today’s lineups:

WHITE SOX
Darin Erstad, CF
Tadahito Iguchi, 2B
Jim Thome, DH
Jermaine Dye, RF
Paul Konerko, 1B
A.J. Pierzynski, C
Joe Crede, 3B
Rob Mackowiak, LF
Juan Uribe, SS

PITCHING: LHP Mark Buehrle

BLUE JAYS
Alex Rios, RF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Vernon Wells, CF
Troy Glaus, 3B
Frank Thomas, DH
Aaron Hill, 2B
Adam Lind, LF
Sal Fasano, C
John McDonald, SS

PITCHING: RHP Roy Halladay

NOTES: Hallday is making his first start since May 10 and is coming off the 15-day DL after undergoing an emergency appendectomy on May 11. … Halladay’s next win will be the 100th of his career. … From 2002-06, Buehrle and Halladay ranked one and two in quickest time of game among MLB starters. … SS Royce Clayton (left foot injury) missed his second game in a row after fouling a ball off his foot, but was available off the bench. … The hot topic around the Rogers Centre was still A-Rod’s controversal ninth-inning shout during Wednesday night’s game. Check the Jays notes on bluejays.com later for more follow up.

After Wednesday night’s game and the Alex Rodriguez incident, I pored through the MLB rulebook to see if there were any specific rules about a baserunner verbally interfering with a play. The search comes up dry. There’s some rules about runners purposely confusing fielders by running improperly around the bases, and rules about interferring by making contact with a fielder, but there doesn’t seem to be a guideline about a runner shouting in an infielder’s ear to distract him.

Since there isn’t a rule that forbids A-Rod’s antics, does that make it OK? Inside the Jays’ clubhouse, there wasn’t a single player who said they had ever seen — from Little Leagues to the big leagues — a baserunner yell "Mine!" while passing a fielder who was about to make a catch. (Granted, A-Rod swears he said something like "Ha!," but I tend to lean toward what third baseman Howie Clark heard, which was "Mine!").

Toronto third baseman Troy Glaus said it’s not "proper" and he wouldn’t hesitate to pull a teammate aside who pulled such a stunt to inform him of why such an act wasn’t "appropriate." Jays manager John Gibbons went as far as calling A-Rod’s antics "bush league," and said it strayed away from all the reasons the Yankees organization is respected around the league.

So, rulebook or not, the Jays seem to think what Rodriguez did was one of the unwritten rules in the game — you just don’t do it. I tend to agree. Some will say it was a smart play, making Clark think shortstop John McDonald was calling him off on a crucial ninth-inning pop up. It was Clark’s first day with the Jays and he’s still learning the voices of his teammates. So of course he’s going to back off if he hears someone yelling "Mine!"

The main issue that I had was that A-Rod insists he didn’t shout anything until he rounded third base, when on the replay you can clearly see him yell as he’s running directly between Clark and McDonald. For Rodriguez to then stand on third base and smirk while the Jays argued the play with the umpires also didn’t seem appropriate in the least.

Still, what A-Rod did wasn’t illegal. Does that make it right, though? There were certainly other aspects of Wednesday’s game that led to Toronto’s loss, but that play certainly came at an important juncture for the Jays. A two-run deficit entering the ninth is a whole different story than a five-run hole, especially when the heart of the order is due up.

Weigh in on this one Jays fans…

New York (21-29) at Toronto (24-27)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre

Today’s lineups:

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

PITCHING: RHP Tyler Clippard

BLUE JAYS
Alex Rios, RF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Vernon Wells, CF
Matt Stairs, LF
Frank Thomas, DH
Aaron Hill, 2B
Howie Clark, 3B
Sal Fasano, C
John McDonald, SS

PITCHING: RHP Jesse Litsch

NOTES: The Jays purchased the contract of infielder Howie Clark, who last played for Toronto in 2004. Clark broke his thumb during a Spring Training game with the Padres, who released him before this season. After six weeks, Clark began working the phones and signed a Minor League deal with the Jays. … 3B Troy Glaus sat out with a sore hamstring. … SS Royce Clayton didn’t suffer a fracture after fouling a ball off his left foot on Tuesday. He was available in an emergency situation on Wednesday and is listed as day-to-day. … RHP Jamie Vermilyea was optioned to Triple-A and INF Ryan Roberts was designated for assignment to make room for Clark on the active and 40-man roster, respectively.

New York (21-28) at Toronto (23-27)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre

Today’s lineups:

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

PITCHING: LHP Andy Pettitte

BLUE JAYS
Alex Rios, RF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Vernon Wells, CF
Frank Thomas, DH
Aaron Hill, 2B
Jason Phillips, C
Royce Clayton, SS
Adam Lind, LF
John McDonald, 3B

PITCHING: RHP Shaun Marcum

NOTES: To clear room for RHP Brian Wolfe on the 40-man roster, Toronto transferred RHP Brandon League to the 60-day disabled list. This was simply a paperwork move, considering League has been on the DL since March 31. Even with placing him on the 60, he’s eligible to come off the DL this week. League is beginning a rehab assignment with Class A Dunedin today. … 3B Troy Glaus, who has been bothered all year by a bone spur in his left heel, was a late scratch from Toronto’s lineup. … RHP Victor Zambrano (right forearm) was scheduled to make a rehab start with Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday night.