Jays call up DeJong

TORONTO -- Jordan De Jong wasn't expecting his phone to ring. He was lying in bed on Tuesday night, watching a movie, when Syracuse manager Doug Davis called and said the Blue Jays were promoting the pitcher.

Needless to say, finishing the movie was hardly a priority.

"I got 10 minutes into it and then had to take off, " De Jong said on Wednesday at Rogers Centre. "It's not like I ever expected it. It was a nice surprise and hopefully everything will go well. ... I was definitely shocked, so I made the calls to my parents and my wife -- the people that matter to you."

The Blue Jays purchased De Jong's contract from Triple-A Syrcause in order to provide a boost to their bullpen, especially after Toronto's relief corps was forced to work 5 2/3 innings in a 12-11 win on Tuesday night. Right-hander Brian Wolfe, who had a 5.40 ERA in four games for the Jays, was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse to open a spot in the 'pen.

"It gives us a fresh arm -- nothing more than that," Toronto manager John Gibbons said about promoting De Jong. "He's having a good year down there in Syracuse. He's had some good years for the organization. It's a good opportunity for him."

De Jong, 28, features a curveball and a changeup, and throws a fastball that registers around 90-92 mph. Through 13 games at Triple-A, the right-hander was 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings. During Spring Training, De Jong allowed no runs in two appearances for the Jays.

In order to clear room on the 40-man roster for De Jong -- an 18th-round pick by the Jays in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft -- Toronto designated right-handed pitcher Ismael Ramirez for assignment. That means the Blue Jays have 10 days to either release, trade or reassign Ramirez.

Gibbons added that Toronto wanted to add another "fresh arm" into the mix because the club wants to be careful about how often it uses relievers Scott Downs, Casey Janssen and Jeremy Accardo. Entering Wednesday, that trio had combined to go 4-1 with a 1.78 ERA and nine saves for Toronto, which ranked second in the American League with a 3.25 bullpen ERA.

"You want to use those guys when you have a lead, in a tie game or maybe when you're down a run," Gibbons said. "You don't want to just use them just to use them. That's another reason to get Jordan up here."

Walk this way: Aaron Hill completed a rare feat on Tuesday night, drawing a walk to lead off a six-run ninth innning for Toronto, and then drawing a bases-loaded walk later in the frame to score the game's decisive run. When the Blue Jays second baseman headed into Toronto's clubhouse after the game, he was immediately greeted by catcher Jason Phillips.

"You were a walking machine," Phillips said with a laugh. "I don't think I've ever seen that before."

That's because the 30-year-old Phillips wasn't born the last time a similar event took place. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Hill became the first player since 1974 to draw a leadoff walk and a game-winning walk in the same inning.

Fasano update: Jays catcher Sal Fasano pulled his groin while legging out a double in the seventh inning on Tuesday, and had to be removed from the game an inning later. On Wednesday, the 35-year-old catcher took part in batting practice and running drills and said he was feeling better. Gibbons said Fasano was available off the bench in an emergency, but he'd prefer to give the catcher the day off.

Debuting: Curtis Thigpen, who was called up from Syracuse on Tuesday to help fill in for injured first baseman Lyle Overbay, made his first big-league start for the Jays on Wednesday. Thigpen played first base and batted ninth for Toronto. In his first career at-bat, the 24-year-old ripped a pitch from Tampa Bay's Scott Kazmir up the middle for single in the second inning.

Behind the plate: Blue Jays catcher Gregg Zaun, who is currently on the 15-day disabled list, made his first rehab appearance with Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday night. Zaun started behind the plate for the Chiefs and went 0-for-3 with a walk. The catcher, who broke his right thumb in April, is expected to join the team in Los Angeles on Friday, when he's scheduled to be activated from the DL.

Did you know? The five RBIs that Toronto left fielder Adam Lind drove in on Tuesday represented a career high for the rookie, and a season high for a Blue Jays hitter.