Two months into the season, it's not hard to see why Toronto wanted to add Glaus and his power potential to the heart of the lineup. Through Sunday, the slugging third baseman ranked second in the American League with 17 home runs, his 45 RBIs were good enough for sixth in the league, and his .595 slugging percentage ranked seventh.

That kind of production didn't exist for the Jays a year ago. Last season, Shea Hillenbrand finished second on the team in homers with 18 in 152 games. Glaus is only one shy of that mark through 53 contests this year.

Another added benefit to having Glaus in the lineup is the protection he's given to center fielder Vernon Wells. With Glaus batting cleanup, Wells has thrived in the No. 3 spot -- hitting .324 with 15 homers and 44 RBIs as of Sunday. Last year, Wells was forced to hit without a true No. 4 batter behind him. It might not be a coincidence that Glaus and Wells have homered in the same game five times this year. Wells is seeing better pitches because opposing hurlers can't afford to pitch around him with Glaus looming on deck.

So was obtaining Glaus worth losing Hudson and his Gold Glove defensive skills? While Toronto probably misses Hudson's presense in the clubhouse and his slick glovework on the field, it's hard to deny the many positives that Glaus has brought to the offense -- one that ranked first in the Majors in batting average (.303), home runs (81), and slugging percentage (.502) entering Monday.

With all the talk of how good of a season Alex Rios is having, getting lost could be the great year that Reed Johnson is having. Do you think that the platoon of Johnson and Frank Catalanotto will be stopped and Johnson will become the full-time left fielder?
--Shawn S., Rochester, New York

The Jays aren't about to abandon the platoon in left field. In fact, Toronto has been thrilled with the great production from that spot this year as a whole. Combined, Johnson and Catalanotto are hitting .335 (82-for-245) with seven home runs, 35 RBIs and 51 runs scored through Sunday. That doesn't show any signs that the platoon isn't working.

Granted, Johnson is having a great season. Entering Monday, He was hitting .360 and led the team with a .447 on-base percentage through 40 games. Johnson has also been solid for the Jays as a leadoff hitter -- posting a .386 average in that role. It's hard to deny what Catalanotto has done, though. He's hit .313 in 43 games.

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The platoon works because of the different skills that the two outfielders provide. When a right-handed pitcher is on the mound, Toronto can start Catalanotto, who hits from the left side and has a .303 career average against righties. Johnson has hit .274 versus right-handers in his career.

Against lefties, Johnson, who bats from the right side, starts due to his lifetime .302 average against southpaws. That gives him the edge over Catalanotto, who has hit .252 in his career versus left-handers. Also, when Catalanotto starts, Johnson can enter in the late innings of close games because he is a much better defender. When Johnson starts, Toronto has a valuable bat off the bench in case it needs a pinch-hitter to face a righty in the late innings.

It's been a little while since Russ Adams and Josh Towers were sent down to the Minors. How are they playing? Is it likely we see them back anytime soon?
--Josh D., Toronto

So far, Adams and Towers have had up-and-down stints for Triple-A Syracuse. Adams could rejoin the Blue Jays later this year if he proves that he has made a smooth transition to second base from shortstop and if Edgardo Alfonzo's offensive struggles continue in the Majors. Towers might have a more difficult road back to the big leagues, considering the impressive showing from rookie Casey Janssen and the upcoming return of starter A.J. Burnett.

Offensively, Adams has looked solid. Through Sunday, he hit .317 (13-for-41) with five doubles, two triples, seven runs and two RBIs in 10 games. Defensively, he's committed four errors at second base, where he's played since being optioned down on May 24.

Towers has gone 1-1 with a 3.21 ERA in his two starts so far. In 14 innings, Towers has allowed nine runs -- five earned -- on 20 hits, including two home runs. He has seven strikeouts and one walk.

Do you think Burnett will be back before the All-Star break?
--Brad W., Chicago

Barring any setbacks, it looks like Burnett could make his way back to the mound for Toronto's Interleague series in Atlanta. The right-hander is eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list on June 21. The plan that Toronto pitching coach Brad Arnsberg mapped out for Burnett's rehab has the righty ready to start around that same time. Burnett will probably make two Minor League rehab starts before returning to the hill for the Blue Jays.

With the ongoing injuries and changes to the middle infield, has there been any discussion about moving Catalanotto back to second base?
-- Mat B., Kitchener, Ontario

Moving Catalanotto to second base from left field doesn't appear likely. He hasn't played second since '02 and never played more than 50 games at the position in a season in his career. Outside of five games at first base for Toronto in 2003, Catalanotto hasn't spent any time in the infield in the three-plus years he's spent with the Jays.