Blue Jays Morning Brew: Donaldson, bullpen, news and notes

The Toronto Blue Jays return to play at 1:07 ET this afternoon. Little rest for the weary after Friday’s 19-inning marathon.

The Blue Jays put in a full shift yesterday, tying a record for the longest game in team history. As we all shake off the dust from that game – or the Canada Day celebrations that followed – let’s kick things off with a Morning Brew. After a quiet holiday, we’re back in business for what should be a jam-packed month leading up to the July 31st MLB Trade Deadline.

Josh Donaldson on MLB Network this morning
Donaldson will be appearing on MLB Network’s “Play Ball” this morning at 10:00 a.m. to discuss the evolution of his swing and how he’s finally found his own comfort zone after years of differing advice from hitting coaches. Here is an excerpt from his conversation about hitting with former MLB player Sean Casey.

The reigning American League MVP also has a great story from his youth that shows how the confidence in his abilities has always been there.

More from Toronto Blue Jays News

• Matt Chapman has been exactly what the Blue Jays needed
• Blue Jays: The goalposts are moving in the right direction
• Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays advance to the Championship Series
• Blue Jays: Comparisons for Alek Manoah’s Second Season
• Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King

“My fourth and fifth grade teacher [who] lives near Tampa, was able to come to watch one of the games this year in Tampa,” Donaldson said. “I remember telling her after the last day of school I signed a little piece of paper, I know it sounds cocky or whatever, that’s where my vision was. It started that young. I remember telling her ‘Hey keep this piece of paper because one day, my signature is going to be worth something.’”

Josh Donaldson… Canadian Olympian?
Baseball is making a return to the Olympic Games in 2020, and with that, Josh Donaldson might be feeling a little conflicted. He tells the CBC’s Gabriella Cook that he’d consider playing for Canada if they were to give him citizenship.

Given the encouraging spike in Canadian baseball talent recently, that could be an event worth monitoring four years from now.

The Morales delay…
John Lott recently wrote about Franklin Morales‘ delayed return to the MLB roster for Blue Jays Nation. Friday’s huge bullpen workload and a potential injury to Bo Schultz could fast-track that timeline, but it appears that Jays management wants to be sure he’s ready, both in terms of health and performance.

General manager Ross Atkins told Lott that, with Pat Venditte, Chad Girodo, and Aaron Loup all at the the triple-A level, Morales “ needs to be better than those guys.” He certainly proved to be a strong left-on-left option for the Kansas City Royals last year, and the Blue Jays have gone the majority of this season without two solidified lefties in their bullpen.

On John Gibbons and early exits
Manager John Gibbons has been ejected six times in 79 games this season and missed three games due to suspension. That’s two more ejections that the rest of the AL East managers combined, CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson writes.

Bobby Cox topped out at 11 ejections in one season during his career, a number Gibbons will have a shot at in the second half of the season. DeMarlo Hale: you’re up.

Next: Blue Jays broadcasters: A look at their playing days

ICYMI: The week that was at Jays Journal
With the trade winds already beginning to blow through Major League baseball, check our recent article on a conversation between general manager Ross Atkins and Jeff Blair on The Fan 590. He also touches on Drew Hutchison and how he could be used as a bullpen piece if the stars align through the rest of 2016.

A new episode of The Jays Nest Podcast will be releasing this coming Wednesday morning (our new release date, changed from Tuesday morning). We may just have to force ourselves into a conversaton about the state of current MLB umpiring. Subscribe here and enjoy our recent episodes before the new release:

Subscribe for iOS / iTunes     –     Subscribe for Android

We also love hearing your questions and will work to include as many as possible on the show. You can tweet in your questions anytime for the podcast anytime to myself at @KeeganMatheson or to the website at @JaysJournal.