The Toronto Blue Jays fired Quebec’s Otto Lopez to the minor leagues on Monday.
The only Canadian team in major league baseball made this cut just before their duel of the day against the Atlanta Braves, like that of the 14 other demoted athletes.
Last season, the one who grew up in Montreal mainly played in the AA (70 games) and AAA (43 games) subsidiaries of the Blue Jays, respectively the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and the Buffalo Bisons.
In the AA, he preserved impressive statistics, including a .331 batting average, in addition to having produced 39 points and having crossed the plate himself 52 times. At the top level, he also did well, with a .289 batting average. He also added 25 RBIs and stole 15 bases. Lopez had also appeared in a Blue Jays game, but he was struck out just because he was at the plate.
In training camp 2022, he only hit one hit and was allowed one walk, for a .067 plate average.
The Jays’ two best prospects, receiver Gabriel Moreno and infielder Orelvis Martinez, will also continue their season in the minors.
Hagen Danner, Bowden Francis, Thomas Hatch, Leonardo Jimenez, Anthony Kay, Josh Palacios, Chris Bec, Max Castillo, Adrian Hernandez, Casey Lawrence, Fitz Stadler and Chavez Young are the other players who suffered the same fate.
The Blue Jays are running out of time
In their game of the day in the Grapefruit League, Florida, Charlie Montoyo’s men partially erased a four-point deficit, but they ran out of time, and the Braves beat them 5-4.
Samad Taylor, with a solo slap, cut the lead to a single run in the eighth inning after teammates Greg Bird, Steward Berroa and Kellin Deglan all caused three runs in the seventh.
However, Charlie Montoyo’s troops were unable to score an extra point at the start of the final engagement.
It was pitcher Tyler Matzek who opened the door for the Jays. He gave up three runs, two hits and a walk in just two-thirds of an inning in the seventh before being pulled from the mound. Luckily for the Braves, Connor Johnstone held on to register the save in the ninth.
Shaun Anderson was the Jays’ starter and suffered the loss (0-1) after giving up a run, two hits to the safety spot and three free passes in three innings of work.
The regular season will begin on April 8 for the Canadian squad, which will host the Texas Rangers for the occasion.
In short
Ronald Guzman fired the ball three times for safety, driving in five runs, and the New York Yankees defeated the Detroit Tigers 11–7.
Jon Berti and Ray-Patrick Didder both hit three-run homers to help the Miami Marlins defeat the Washington Nationals 8-1.
Starter Framber Valdez (three innings) and his relievers limited the St. Louis Cardinals to three hits, so the Houston Astros won 2-1.
The Philadelphia Phillies Gunners did even better, giving the Baltimore Orioles two hits in a 7-1 win.
