Blue Jays could finally achieve their ideal lineup by Thursday

Help is on the way for the Toronto Blue Jays. Following the return of Kevin Pillar last night from a thumb injury, Jose Bautista is expected to be activated from the disabled list for Thursday’s series finale against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

With Bautista figuring back in to the starting lineup, the Blue Jays could roll out a rarity on Thursday night: a full and healthy lineup. Injuries to Bautista, Devon Travis, Troy Tulowitzki and others have left the starting nine just short of complete throughout the season, but Toronto is about to get the band back together for a stretch run.

Most important of all, the Blue Jays are expected to maximize their roster value by using Bautista predominantly in a designated hitter role.

“I mean he’s going to need to DH a lot with his knee,” manager John Gibbons told Alykhan Ravjiani of MLB.com. “It feels good, but the smart thing to do will be to let him DH quite a bit.”

Bautista last appeared in a game on August 9th, where he suffered a sprained knee on an awkward play in right field.

Now within two months of his 36th birthday, Bautista’s free agent year has not gone as planned. Two trips to the disabled list (toe, knee) have limited him to 80 games thus far with a .222 batting average. His on-base tool has remained strong with a .349 OBP, but his rapidly shrinking defensive capabilities make him a difficult sell on the open market when compared to his spring training expectations.

For the Blue Jays, however, this roster construction can still fit together quite well in the short term.

Moving Bautista into a primary DH role will result in Edwin Encarnacion playing the field, which pushes the struggling Justin Smoak to the bench where he should serve as a pinch-hitting option. In the outfield, Melvin Upton Jr. figures to continue being the benefactor of the newly-available playing time.

“He’s settled in here, he’s comfortable here,” Gibbons said after the game. “And like I’ve said before, when guys go to a new environment, you naturally want things to get off to a great start and try to make things happen. In baseball that works against you.”

Next: Edwin Encarnacion: Latest on allegations, lawsuit

With Bautista back in the heart of the order, Russell Martin surging, and Devon Travis proving to be a legitimate young star in his second season, the Blue Jays lineup will soon be fully stocked and ready to support the club’s strong rotation.