TORONTO -- It’s been a little over five weeks since the Blue Jays last saw Jacob Waguespack.

He made a triumphant return on Wednesday, getting his first big league win in his second appearance and helping the Blue Jays to a 6-3 win over the Red Sox at Rogers Centre. 

“You work your whole life to get to this point, and to go out there and give your team a chance to win is awesome,” the 23-year-old right-hander said. “Just coming to the ballpark every day and knowing that you belong [elicits confidence]. The guys in that locker room are awesome. They’re very happy for me, and I’m just trying to contribute in any way I can.” 

Waguespack’s first stint in the big leagues was short-lived, and he was hoping for more in his return, which is exactly what Toronto got. Following opener David Phelps, Waguespack finished five innings -- on a limited pitch count -- and allowed three runs on six hits, walking none and striking out four. 

“He was really good,” Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said. “That’s the second time I’ve seen him in the big leagues pitching, and he’s been really good. Last time I saw him was against Tampa Bay and he was outstanding, and he did the same thing today. He was really good. He’s throwing strikes, he’s making good hitters look bad, so that’s a good sign.”

On May 27, Waguespack saw a lifelong dream come to fruition. He had been recalled from Triple-A Buffalo a day earlier in Toronto, but it wasn’t until the team arrived in St. Petersburg that the Louisiana native earned the opportunity to make his Major League debut. Against the Rays, Waguespack allowed three runs (two earned) over four innings.

Waguespack set a franchise record with his seven strikeouts, the most for a Blue Jays reliever in their big league debut.

“It made me feel like I belonged, so to speak, and know that I can compete with those guys at that level,” Waguespack said recently. “It was a good confidence booster for me. You put in a lot of work over the years, and to see it come to fruition when you get to that level is pretty cool.”

After one of the 75 pitches the 6-foot-6, 235-pound righty threw that night at Tropicana Field, he felt some irritation in his throwing shoulder. It was comparable to the normal soreness that accompanies a lot of extended outings on the mound, but it was different enough to warrant some concern. Two days later, Waguespack was placed on the injured list with a right shoulder strain.

“Shoulder issues can be [worrisome], it just depends on the spot,” he said. “For me, I just had some inflammation in a muscle or tendon. But if you start getting some stuff in the front of the shoulder or rotator cuff or labrum, those are some issues.

“I wasn’t even close to that. … I had a rear [deltoid] strain, and it’s a spot that gets tender after starts for a lot of guys. It happened on one particular pitch in the game, and that’s never happened for me. We took some precaution with it, and it’s strengthened back up now and I’m happy with it.”

Despite the roster move that ultimately followed Waguespack’s first big league appearance, he couldn’t have been more proud just to accomplish the feat. He took his discomfort in stride, knowing there will be much more to come.

“Tampa was awesome,” he said. “I got to make my debut and my family was there, and I happened to pitch well, so that’s something you dream of as a kid. It was OK to get hurt. It happens, it’s part of the game. You just take it day by day and roll with the punches.”

Waguespack once again rolled with the Major League punches on Wednesday, following opener David Phelps against the reigning World Series champion Red Sox. In his three rehab appearances (two starts) with Buffalo, he posted a 2.79 ERA over 9 2/3 innings with four walks and eight strikeouts, holding opponents to a .235 average.

Odd man out

To make room on the roster for Waguespack, Sean Reid-Foley became a victim of circumstances and was optioned to Buffalo after a perfect 3 1/3-inning outing on Tuesday. The 23-year-old right-hander had been scheduled to start Wednesday, but he was needed a day early to relieve Trent Thornton, who didn’t make it out of the third frame in his start.

“I knew it was a possibility, so I was out there [in the bullpen],” Reid-Foley said on Tuesday. “You never want your fellow starter to do poorly, and I was pretty optimistic that I didn’t think I was going to throw today. It was a tough one for Thornton.

“I tried to do the best I could to give our team a chance to win, and it sucks that I had to throw today because obviously the outcome for Thornton. I feel bad for him because he’s been pitching well all year and it is what it is.”

After struggling to find the strike zone with the Bisons this season, Reid-Foley impressed the Blue Jays in his return. The Florida native allowed two runs over 10 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts, earning consideration to join the big league rotation again in the near future.

“He already pitched yesterday, so we need everybody else, that was the reason,” Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo said of the move. “He pitched well in his two outings here. He did a good job.”

Rotation questions

Ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Red Sox, Montoyo also mentioned that another move might have to be made before the series finale on Thursday if Marcus Stroman isn’t at full strength before his start. The 28-year-old All-Star left his start on Saturday with a left shoulder pectoral cramp.

“We’ll see how he feels,” Montoyo said. “He’s day to day. If he doesn’t feel 100 percent, we’re not going to rush him there and pitch him. So we’ll make another move or whatever we have to do. … He wasn’t [100 percent] yesterday, so we’ll see how he feels today.”