Blue Jays Morning Brew: Post-loss reading, news and notes

The Toronto Blue Jays return to action at 4:05 p.m. ET today with R.A. Dickey facing Sonny Gray

The Blue Jays exited the All-Star break with a frustrating loss last night in Oakland that lacked any real aesthetic appeal. Marcus Stroman had one of his poorest outings of the season to negate another big game from the bats, but as the August 1st trade deadline approaches, the Blue Jays still find themselves in a very strong position.

While waiting for first pitch, here are the stories you may have missed from the past few days of Blue Jays coverage.

Tulowitzki showing Donaldson the way
John Lott had this fantastic piece earlier in the week for VICE Sports on Josh Donaldson, who dedicated himself to becoming an even stronger defender this year. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has been a significant asset in doing so, especially when it comes to the “second step” of planting the feet and throwing across the diamond.

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“I really wanted to come in and work on my footwork and try to put myself in a better position to make more accurate throws,” Donaldson told Lott. “I feel like my range and everything else has been there since I’ve been at third. The second step is always finishing off the play. At times I didn’t put myself in the best position to do that.”

Estrada not shy about Sanchez
Marco Estrada, like many Blue Jays fans, does not want to see Aaron Sanchez back in the bullpen this season (or ever again).

“To finally get the opportunity, he’s showing what he can do,” Estrada told Sportsnet’s David Singh. “He’s an all-star, and I don’t think he’s making it back to that bullpen. I hope he doesn’t.”

Decisions in context
Richard Griffin added some clarity to the Blue Jays’ rotation strategy coming out of the break for The Star. Having Dickey pitch Friday allowed him to miss the Diamondbacks “where the dome and a controlled environment launching pad for long-balls do not suit the capriciousness of his specialty, the knuckleball.”

The upcoming off-days will also work in the Blue Jays favour, as they can tinker with their positional roster for the Arizona series. These allow for the Jays to go with a four-man rotation if they so choose.

Tweets of Blue Jays Past
A fun one here at Sportsnet, where Donnovan Bennett checks in on some former Blue Jays and their Twitter activity. Roy Halladay’s is especially enjoyable, as he appears to be fairly busy with unicycling and collecting speeding tickets.

The 50 Club
At ESPN, Jerry Crasnick looked around baseball at the 50-win teams and examined where they’re headed. It’s business as usual for the Blue Jays, but this serves as a good reminder that even the top teams in the league are dealing with weaknesses as they approach the deadline.

Next: Blue Jays rumours: Kicking tires on Melvin Upton Jr.

The Jays Nest Podcast
If you missed the newest episode of The Jays Nest Podcast releasing this past Wednesday morning, you can still listen to it here. Shaun Doyle of Jays From the Couch and I talk about the home run derby, the All-Star Game, and the trade deadline mayhem ahead.

The Jays’ Nest Podcast- Talking Toronto Blue Jays – Jays Nest 82: Blue Jays & MLB Trade Deadline

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You can also subscribe to the podcast using the links below. Tweet in your questions for upcoming episodes to myself at @KeeganMatheson or the website at @JaysJournal.