The Blue Jays are looking for a right-handed bat, one with punch.
With a roster spot open after they placed shortstop David Eckstein (strained right hip flexor) and shortstop John McDonald (sprained right ankle) on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Wednesday, the Jays are looking for a right-handed hitter to take over for Matt Stairs as the DH when they open a four-game series in Cleveland. The Jays will face three left-handers in the series, and manager John Gibbons would like to sit Stairs in those games.
To take one of the vacant spots on the roster, the Jays recalled infielder/outfielder Joe Inglett from Class AAA Syracuse. Inglett bats left-handed.
The problem for the Jays is they don't have an experienced right-handed bat available at Syracuse.
"By (Friday) we'll have something either internally or externally," general manager J.P. Ricciardi said. "We've got some irons in the fire."
Ricciardi said he won't be looking to add the bat via a trade, which leaves the Jays to either claim somebody who has cleared waivers recently or fill the spot internally.
With Eckstein and McDonald injured, infielder Marco Scutaro has taken over at shortstop.
RAYS 8, BLUE JAYS 3 (13 innings): The Jays rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth -- two on a home run by Vernon Wells -- to tie the game 3-3 and send it into extra innings. In the 13th, Shawn Camp allowed five runs on a sac fly and a grand slam by Dioner Navarro. The Jays ended their seven-game homestand with a 6-2 record.
