Rookies may be headed to Minors

OAKLAND -- The dreaded stroll to the manager's office appears to be around the corner for a pair of Toronto rookies. With two Blue Jays starters nearing their return from the disabled list, Adam Lind and Curtis Thigpen could both be headed back to the Minor Leagues.

Adam Lind was called up from Triple-A Syracuse in April, when left fielder Reed Johnson was sidelined with a back injury. Similarly, Thigpen was promoted from Syracuse when first baseman Lyle Overbay broke his right hand when he was hit by a pitch in early-June. Both Johnson and Overbay are scheduled to rejoin the Jays shortly after the All-Star break.

Johnson, who had surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back in the opening month, is currently playing rehab games with Syracuse. When he heads back to Toronto, Lind could be the odd-man out, considering how well backup outfielder Matt Stairs has performed at the plate.

"We'll see. I like what I've seen," said Toronto manager John Gibbons, referring to Lind. "He went through that rut a few weeks ago, but he's starting to come out of it. What's happened to him is what's supposed to happen to rookies, realistically. Very few of them come out and have those huge years."

Through 72 games with the Blue Jays, the 23-year-old Lind has hit just .231 with eight home runs and 30 RBIs. His production is below what Toronto would've hoped for, but Lind -- owner of a .300-plus average throughout his Minor League career -- also wasn't expected to be in the big leagues so early into the season.

"He's had to make some adjustments, because [pitchers have been] adjusting to him," said Gibbons. "His big thing is learning to lay off that high pitch. When they get a couple strikes on him, that's where they go."

Overbay is set to begin a Minor League rehab assignment this weekend in preparation for a return to the lineup in time for Toronto's July 12-15 series in Boston. The added presence of catcher Jason Phillips means that Thigpen, who has hit .323 while filling in at first and behind the plate, will probably be sent back to Syracuse after the break.

"It's going to be hard for that to happen," said Gibbons, when asked if Thigpen might remain with the club upon Overbay's return. "It could, I don't know for sure, but it's going to be tough. He needs regular playing time."

Rotating around: On Wednesday, Gibbons said that the Blue Jays hadn't made an official decision about how the starting rotation will stack up after the All-Star break. Gibbons said that Roy Halladay, Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan would likely be the first three starters for the series in Boston.

"We'll see how things stack up after that," Gibbons said.

Janssen gassed: One Toronto pitcher who's probably looking forward to the All-Star break is Casey Janssen. The Jays' setup man has logged 38 games this year, but has seen his ERA rise to 2.47 from 0.95 over the past seven games -- a stretch in which the right-hander has yielded eight runs.

"He's a little tired and hopefully the break will do him a lot of good," Gibbons said on Tuesday. "He's running on fumes.

Glaus exits early: Blue Jays third baseman Troy Glaus left Wednesday's game against Oakland in the third inning. Glaus fouled a pitch from A's reliever Shane Komine off his left foot in the second, but he remained in the game until the bottom half of the next inning.

Howie Clark took over at third base and Glaus was taken to a local hospital to undergo a precautionary X-ray of his foot, which has bothered him off and on all season. After the game, Gibbons said the exam was inconclusive and Glaus' foot, which swelled up, would be re-evaluated in Toronto on Thursday."

Minor matters: On Tuesday, Ryan Patterson launched a grand slam during Double-A New Hampshire's sixth consecutive win, a 9-4 victory over the Portland Sea Dogs. It marked the third straight game in which Patterson homered and the second contest in a row that he tallied four RBIs. ... Reliever Seth Overbey turned in three scoreless innings for New Hampshire, lowering his ERA to 0.72 this season between stints at Class A and Double-A.

Did you know? Entering Wednesday's outing, Blue Jays starter McGowan had turned in six quality starts in his last eight appearances. During that span, the right-hander has gone 4-1 with a 2.53 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 42 2/3 innings.

Quotable: "He's done a very nice job out there. That doesn't even concern you anymore." --Gibbons, on Lind's defense