News
Cecil starts in place of injured Richmond
Toronto (42-40) at New York (47-33), 1:05 p.m. ET
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com
07/04/09 8:14 PM ET
NEW YORK -- Scott Richmond did not want to admit that he was hurting, but the Blue Jays rookie quickly realized that keeping that fact from the club was not the best route to take. Richmond has been dealing with a sore right arm and needs rest in order to get back to full strength.On Sunday afternoon, rookie left-hander Brett Cecil will take Richmond's turn in the rotation for the third tilt of this four-game weekend set against the Yankees. Richmond was placed on the 15-day disabled list after Saturday's 6-5 loss to New York, and Toronto will promote lefty Brad Mills from Triple-A Las Vegas to start against the Rays on Tuesday.
Richmond tried to pitch through the soreness, but decided against risking a more serious injury.
"It's tough to say, 'No, I can't go,'" Richmond said. "But I'd rather miss two starts than the second half. I'm looking at the big picture. It's tough, but I'm trying to help this team. If I go out there not 100 percent, I don't feel like I'm helping the team."
Richmond said he is suffering from inflammation in his right biceps tendon. He first felt some discomfort in the days following his June 24 start against the Cincinnati Reds. The right-hander said he just wasn't recovering from the outing as fast as he normally would after other starts, and that alerted him that something was wrong.
That didn't stop Richmond from taking the mound at home against the Rays on Tuesday, when he logged seven innings and allowed three runs on six hits, including three solo home runs. After that performance, Richmond still felt fatigued and decided that making another start would not be smart.
"I just didn't bounce back as quick as I thought I should," Richmond said. "It was tired and lagging behind, and I pitched through it in my Tampa start, and then, just from then on, it was the same old thing. So now I'm just trying to squash it and nip it in the bud before it turns into anything."
At first, Richmond didn't want to tell the trainers.
"I'm trying to downplay it as much as I can to the trainers," he admitted. "But they're there to help, and I can't be not telling them the truth. I'm hoping it just comes back and I don't say anything. It just slowly, it's not getting worse, it's just not getting better. Rest is what it needs to get better."
Richmond's DL stint is retroactive to Wednesday, meaning he will be eligible to be activated on July 17, when the Blue Jays open the second half with a series at home against the Red Sox. Richmond becomes the sixth Toronto starter to land on the DL with an injury this season. That's not including pitchers Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan, who opened the year on the shelf.
"We've got so many guys down in this organization as far as pitchers," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said. "We're just going to let him rest until after the All-Star Game."
Cecil, 23, last started on June 25, when he went just three innings, throwing 86 pitches in a no-decision against the Reds. Cecil surrendered five runs on nine hits and finished with two strikeouts and three walks in the outing. The left-handed rookie also logged two-thirds of an inning in relief in a game against the Rays on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old Mills made two starts for the Jays last month while ace Roy Halladay was on the DL with a right groin issue. In those outings, the young lefty allowed 14 runs on 12 hits and threw 189 pitches over 7 2/3 innings. On Thursday with Triple-A Vegas, Mills logged eight shutout innings and gave up just two hits with seven strikeouts and one walk in a win over Reno.
Pitching matchup
TOR: LHP Brett Cecil (2-1, 5.09 ERA)
Cecil has surrendered 18 hits over his past 10 2/3 innings for a .400 opponents' batting average.
Chamberlain has logged fewer than seven innings in 13 of his 15 starts this season. Bird feed
Blue Jays third baseman Scott Rolen doubled off the wall in right-center field at Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon, extending his career-best hitting streak to 21 games. Rolen's current run is tied for the fourth-longest hitting streak in club history and is the longest active streak in the Majors. The longest hitting streak in Jays history belongs to Shawn Green, who hit safely in 28 consecutive games in 1999. ... Closer Scott Downs (sprained toe on left foot) felt fine on Saturday, a day after testing his injured foot in a bullpen session. Gaston said there is still no established return date for Downs, who is currently eligible to be activated from the 15-day disabled list. "He feels good," Gaston said. "That's about all I can tell you. He feels good, and hopefully he gets back before the All-Star break. If not, we'll just suck it up until then." ... When center fielder Vernon Wells appeared in the sixth spot of the lineup on Friday, it marked the first time he hit sixth or lower since June 3, 2005. ... Wells and right fielder Alex Rios each had an RBI in Friday's game against the Yankees, marking only the 10th time this season the pair both drove in at least one run in the same game. ... Right-hander Shawn Camp has worked at least two innings in eight of his 28 appearances out of the bullpen this season. The reliever has posted a 2.74 ERA in those multi-inning outings. ... Entering Saturday, shortstop Marco Scutaro ranked third in the Majors and first in the American League in reaching base 145 times this season. Tickets
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• Monday: Blue Jays (Ricky Romero, 6-3, 2.85) at Yankees (Andy Pettitte, 8-3, 4.25), 1:05 p.m. ET
• Tuesday: Blue Jays (Brad Mills, 0-1, 14.09) at Rays (James Shields, 6-6, 3.50), 7:08 p.m. ET
• Wednesday: Blue Jays (Roy Halladay, 10-2, 2.79) at Rays (Scott Kazmir, 4-5, 6.79) , 7:08 p.m. ET
Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
