Tough day for Blue Jays from start to end

Friday started with bad news for the Blue Jays, and when they took the field against the Angels at TD Ballpark, things didn’t improve.

The Blue Jays, who are already dealing with multiple injuries to their starting rotation and without star outfielder George Springer, placed three more players on the IL prior to the game, including 2020 Silver Slugger Award winner Teoscar Hernández. He hits the COVID-19 IL after exposure to a positive case with a close contact outside the organization.

Toronto’s depth was always going to be tested eventually, but nobody expected this much, this soon. Eight games in, the Blue Jays are already digging deep into their 40-man roster, and as they try to make this work on the fly, the margin of error shrinks. The Blue Jays’ 7-1 loss to the Angels on Friday can be pinned on their quiet bats, which struck out 12 times, but a misplay by Bo Bichette with the score still 0-0 in the second inning shows exactly what this team can’t afford to do when shorthanded.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Bichette fielded a routine grounder that should have ended the inning, saving right-hander T.J. Zeuch from danger. Instead, Bichette double-clutched in his glove trying to get a better grip on the ball, and Dexter Fowler beat his throw to second base. One run crossed on that play before Shohei Ohtani -- who should have been leading off the next inning -- stepped to the dish and launched a double off the wall in right field, clearing the bases and putting the Angels up 4-0.

“He’s made most of the plays,” said manager Charlie Montoyo after the loss. “Of course that was a big error because then the big blow came, but the ball got caught up in his glove and then their guy was safe at second base. What happens when you play a good team like these guys, who are hot, if you give them any extra outs that’s what happens. Of course they took advantage of that.”

The Blue Jays made defensive improvement a central focus of the offseason. That was partly accomplished by adding stars like Springer and Marcus Semien, and there was optimism the young core would take another step forward. This does project as a better fielding team than we saw in 2020, but these fundamental errors that swing games will need to be cleaned up.

There was even another injury scare in-game for the Blue Jays, as Lourdes Gurriel Jr. jogged off prior to the third inning. Gurriel was dealing with side effects from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, particularly nausea, and Montoyo said that he will be re-evaluated early Saturday. Ryan Borucki was also placed on the COVID-19 IL with side-effects while right-hander Tyler Chatwood landed on the standard 10-day IL with right triceps inflammation. The Blue Jays’ IL already features pitchers Robbie Ray, Nate Pearson, Thomas Hatch and Kirby Yates, who’s done for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

With the dozen strikeouts Friday, the Blue Jays have now struck out 84 times over their first eight games, a new franchise record. That number is likely a couple lower with Springer in the lineup and some of these slumps are bound to turn around at any moment, but Montoyo sees a common thread stretching through his lineup that needs to be adjusted.

“We’re expanding [the zone],” Montoyo said. “There’s no secret about that, because I know you guys are watching the game just like I am. We’ve just got to relax a little bit and get good pitches. Right now, as a team, we’re expanding the zone a lot and we’re paying the price. That’s why we’re striking out so much.”

At some point in every season, each team, whether its the best in baseball or the worst, hits a stretch where it needs to battle to keep itself above water until reinforcements arrive. The Blue Jays are at one of those points, and it’s easier to do so when the depth they’re leaning is young and talented. Yes, it’s early, but games in April count just the same as games in September.