News
Gaston looking to rest key starters
Skipper realizes Toronto will play role in playoff picture
By Mike Scott / Special to MLB.com
09/13/09 4:25 PM ET
DETROIT -- Aaron Hill, Vernon Wells, Adam Lind and Marco Scutaro each have well over 500 at-bats this season. They've missed only about 20 combined games this year because of minor ailments and the need for an occasional day off.Each of them wants to play every day and has been reliable in that way all season. But hard as it might be for Toronto manager Cito Gaston to keep some of his top run producers out of the lineup now and then, each of those players is likely to get a few mandated days off for the remainder of the season.
Gaston said this weekend that he expects to give Hill, Wells, Lind and Scutaro some rest for the last three weeks of the campaign. However, he recognizes that each of them has personal goals they want to achieve. And Gaston also understands the importance of putting the best team on the field he possibly can, particularly when playing against teams still in the pennant race, like Minnesota and Detroit.
A three-game series at Boston the last three days in September might also be particularly relevant for the American League's playoff picture.
"[Detroit] is still in the running for it, so you have to manage the game with respect to them and the Twins and other teams still [in the playoff race]," Gaston said. "It happened that Hill sat a game in Minnesota and we moved [Roy] Halladay back a day, so he'll miss the Tigers this weekend. But he's pitched two complete games recently and needed the break.
"Sometimes it happens that you have to or want to sit guys, but you also want to respect the game and the other teams and that's what we are going to do."
Gaston in particular mentioned Wells as being a player who may get some extra time off over the remainder of the season. Wells is on pace for well over 600 at-bats this season after a 2008 season in which he played in 108 games and was limited to 427 at-bats because of injury. But historically the Toronto outfielder has been extremely durable, playing in at least 149 games during five years of a six-year stretch from 2002-07, including a career-high 678 at-bats and 161 games in '03.
"I'm thinking about resting [Wells] a bit here and Scutaro too, but when you talk to those guys about getting a day off, they don't want it," Gaston said. "Those are two tough positions [physically], shortstop and particularly the outfield. So I have to think about getting all of those guys some time."
Toronto's last off-day was Aug. 27. The Blue Jays also played a doubleheader on Sept. 1. The team's only remaining day off comes this Thursday in the midst of a nine-game road trip.
"I may think about getting some of those guys [rest] where it doesn't offend those other teams, because we only have the one day off before the last week of the season," Gaston said. "I know [Hill] and [Lind] want to get their 100 RBIs [Lind and Hill have 97 apiece after Sunday's game], and there are some personal goals each of those guys want to get because they deserve them. But we'll get them some time off where we can."
Mike Scott is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
