Dalton Pompey, Ryan Tepera among Blue Jays' potential Sept. 1 call-ups
Pitchers Bolsinger, Girodo, could also give bullpen a boost
The Blue Jays' recent play doesn't warrant a major shakeup, but you can bet changes are coming later this week.
General manager Ross Atkins could add a left-hander to an already strong bullpen to complement lone southpaw Brett Cecil or provide manager John Gibbons with a stronger left-handed option off the bench than Ezequiel Carrera for Toronto's playoff push in September.
What Atkins, Gibbons and others within the organization will do over the next couple of days is decide which players will be summoned from the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons when major league teams can expand their 25-man rosters to 40 on Thursday.
To be eligible for the post-season active roster, a player must be on a team's expanded roster or disabled list as of midnight ET Wednesday and not placed on the 60-day DL after Aug. 1.
Here are 10 players — four pitchers and six hitters — who could get a taste of big-league life in September while providing the Blue Jays' regulars rest down the stretch as they try to maintain their first-place lead in the American League East.
PITCHERS
Mike Bolsinger: The 28-year-old right-hander has struggled in Buffalo, posting a 7.52 earned-run average in five appearances since Toronto acquired him before the July 31 non-waiver deadline from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Scott Diamond: The Guelph, Ont., left-hander didn't make a good first impression upon his recall on June 13, allowing three runs (all earned) on two hits and walking two in a 7-0 loss to Philadelphia. Diamond, who hasn't pitched regularly in the majors since 2013 with Minnesota, has been solid with Buffalo this season, sporting a 4.02 ERA in 26 starts.
Chad Girodo: He has had more than a couple of stints in Toronto this season and provided decent results out of the bullpen — 4.35 ERA and only two walks over 10 1/3 innings. In 27 appearances with the Bisons this season, the 25-year-old owns a 3.69 ERA but has allowed 42 hits in 31 2/3 innings.
Ryan Tepera: The right-hander likely will join the Blue Jays for a seventh time this season, having most recently appeared Aug. 16 at Yankee Stadium when he struck out one in his only inning. He has a 2.89 ERA in nine games with the Jays in 2016 with seven strikeouts and five walks, but tops Buffalo with 18 saves to go with a 2.64 ERA.
HITTERS
Darrell Ceciliani: The former New York Met had a chance to impress when called up in June as the Jays had three outfielders on the disabled list. But Ceciliani struggled in that stint and another in August. In 11 games covering 26 at-bats, he hit .115 with a .179 on-base percentage and was returned to Buffalo on Aug. 19. He has hit .271 in 80 games with the Bisons with 10 homers and 11 stolen bases.
Chris Colabello: Atkins and company might not want the potential distraction of Colabello's presence after he served an 80-game suspension earlier this season for using performance-enhancing drugs. He also hasn't hit well in Buffalo since his return in July, batting .198 in his first 35 games with five home runs and 11 runs batted in. Colabello hit a career-high .321 with 15 homers last season with Toronto.
Matt Dominguez: A reserve first baseman and third baseman, he's had two stints with the Jays this season and went hitless in 11 at-bats in five games. But the 26-year-old has had a strong season in Triple-A, leading the Bisons in home runs (18) and RBIs (65).
Ryan Goins: The infielder was recalled Wednesday from triple-A to fill in for Darwin Barney, whom the Jays placed on the family medical emergency list. Goins, who will probably remain with Toronto when Barney returns, went 4-for-9 over three games with the big club earlier this month to raise his average to .186 in 64 games (172 at-bats) after hitting .250 a year ago. An excellent defensive replacement at second base or shortstop, he has hit .271 in 27 games for Buffalo after spending time on the disabled list in July with forearm tightness.
Jesus Montero: One of four Bisons named to the Triple-A all-star game this season, the one-time New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners catching prospect is second to Dominguez in home runs (11) and RBIs (58). Montero is Buffalo's primary designated hitter and leads the club with a .321 batting average.
Dalton Pompey: Expect the Mississauga, Ont., native to get the call after impressing in last year's post-season, going 1-for-1 with four stolen bases in five games. After breaking camp in 2015 as Toronto's starting centre-fielder, he spent the bulk of the season in the minors and was demoted to Buffalo before spring training ended this past March. The promising Pompey has hit .270 in 91 games for the Bisons with four home runs, 18 steals and a .349 on-base percentage.