Reinforcements

Thursday, June 12 2003 @ 08:50 AM EDT

Contributed by: Jordan

As noted on last night's game thread, the Blue Jays have recalled Corey Thurman and Mike Smith from the Syracuse Skychiefs. Ken Huckaby is expected to be one of the players sent down in return, but there's no word yet on the other victim. If Mark Hendrickson struggles tonight, he's most likely AAA-bound and Doug Davis sticks around; if he pitches effectively, probably he'll stay and Davis will be released outright. Jayson Werth will be joining the flight to Syracuse as soon as Shannon Stewart comes off the DL.

Corey has been discussed extensively here lately; the consensus seems to be that he's not quite ready for prime time, but the Jays are in neither the condition nor the mood to wait. I have a feeling it could start out as a rough second visit to the majors for Thurman, but unless he's really lost out there on the mound, he'll stay the year. Mike has been pitching better lately after a terrible start, and I'm one of his bigger boosters, but even I'm somewhat surprised to see him back so soon, with less than stellar numbers. It's a measure of how awful the Jays' hurlers have been lately that the team is taking a flyer on two guys who may not be there quite yet. But on the whole, I'm glad to see them here: the team has pretty much figured out what they have in guys like Tanyon Sturtze, Jeff Tam and Doug Davis, pitchers whom I don't expect to last the season in Toronto. Might as well see what the home-grown (or, in Thurman's case, the Rule-Fived) guys have to offer.

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