Villar, Ray debut; Kirk added; injury updates

The Blue Jays made a long list of roster moves prior to Tuesday’s series opener in Miami, the result of an aggressive lead-up to Monday's Trade Deadline when they pulled off three deals.

Toronto added left-hander Robbie Ray and infielder Jonathan Villar to the active roster after being acquired on Monday, while infielder Brandon Drury, right-hander Sam Gaviglio and designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach were designated for assignment. Right-hander Jacob Waguespack was also optioned to make room on the active roster.

Both Ray and Villar made their debuts in a 3-2 loss to the Marlins at Marlins Park, with Ray following opener Julian Merryweather out of the bullpen. Ray was sharp, throwing 3 1/3 innings with two runs allowed (one earned) and four strikeouts. Most encouraging was his control, throwing 36 of 48 pitches for strikes with just one walk, which had been a major issue for him with the D-backs.

“He threw strikes, which was good because I know he was having problems with the strike zone and walking people,” Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said after the loss. “He’s got good stuff and he commanded all his pitches today. That was good to see.”

Villar started at shortstop and made an error in the field, leading to that unearned run against Ray, but he drove in the first run of the game on a groundout. Villar finished 0-for-4. He’s expected to see the majority of his reps at short until Bo Bichette returns from his sprained right knee. Then at that point, his value to this roster should be even more apparent.

Once Bichette returns, the Blue Jays can use Villar in a variety of infield and outfield roles, which will stretch the lineup. The initial thinking was that Villar would slide over to third, splitting some time with Travis Shaw depending on how Shaw is hitting at the time. Now, it’s sounding more possible that we might see Cavan Biggio at third base, which would theoretically mean Villar at second. Montoyo clearly has plenty of options to choose from, plus depth infielders in Santiago Espinal and Joe Panik to factor in.

Ross Stripling, the third trade addition from Monday, will be added to the roster when he completes the COVID-19 intake process.

Vogelbach’s name stands out among the players going in the other direction, given that he was a recent trade acquisition from the Mariners, but the roster simply doesn’t have the space for a bench bat who’s limited to DH. The decision to DFA Drury is newsworthy, too. Not because of his performance -- he was hitting .152 with a .358 OPS -- but because he came over from the Yankees in the 2018 J.A. Happ deal and was initially held in high regard by the organization.

Fan favourite Kirk added to taxi squad
Catcher Alejandro Kirk has been added to the taxi squad, where he joins catcher Caleb Joseph, outfielder Jonathan Davis and right-handers Waguespack and Patrick Murphy. Kirk, the club’s No. 6 prospect and the top catcher in the system, starred in Spring Training and brings an intriguing offensive profile with an excellent contact tool.

Kirk hasn’t played above Class A Advanced, though, and is still just 21, so this seems like more of a development opportunity.

“Just to get him acclimated to the big leagues,” Montoyo said. “He’s been in Rochester doing a good job, so just to have him here and have him see how we do things. That was the main idea, to work with John Schneider, see how we talk to the catchers and pitchers about game calling and all of that.”

Injury updates
• Bichette (sprained right knee) ran sprints, took ground balls and hit in the cage on Tuesday. There’s no timeline yet, but the updates are getting more encouraging.

• Nate Pearson (right elbow tightness) played catch at 120 feet on Tuesday.

• Ken Giles (right forearm strain) threw live BP on Tuesday and felt good. He’ll face live hitters again on Saturday.

• Trent Thornton underwent surgery on his right elbow to remove "loose bodies," Montoyo said, and is expected to be ready for the 2021 season.