DUNEDIN, Fla. – Brett Cecil's dismal end to spring training has landed him in double-A New Hampshire, with Joel Carreno recalled to replace him and Kyle Drabek sliding into the final spot in the Toronto Blue Jays' starting rotation.
The flurry of moves came Tuesday morning, just ahead of their Grapefruit League finale against the very same Detroit Tigers who tattooed Cecil down two levels Monday at Lakeland.
The left-hander, needing a big outing to secure the No. 3 spot on the starting staff, instead surrendered seven straight hits, capped by homers from Prince Fielder and Delmon Young, during a second inning that sealed his fate.
Carreno, brought back up from double-A New Hampshire, is now slated to start the Blue Jays' third game of the season, Sunday in Cleveland. Henderson Alvarez will start the home opener Monday night in Toronto against the Boston Red Sox. Kyle Drabek will start Tuesday against Boston.
Aaron Laffey, whose stuff is very similar to Cecil's and was also in the running for a job, was assigned to triple-A Las Vegas.
"(Monday's) outing, it became increasingly clear that Brett needs a few more starts to gain the consistent command that is required to compete against lineups he's going to face at the major-league level," said manager John Farrell. "We felt like while Aaron Laffey showed well in spring training, we'd look to get a little more power out of that spot in terms of overall stuff, and that's where Joel, who'd been throwing the ball very well since being optioned back, comes back to us."
Carreno appeared in 11 games out of the Blue Jays bullpen last year, allowing just two runs in 15.2 innings with just four walks and 14 strikeouts, but was bumped out of a spot thanks to GM Alex Anthopoulos's aggressive relief-corps renovation.
The owner of a good fastball and a devastating slider, the key point of progression for Carreno this spring was in his changeup, and once he was optioned earlier in camp, he was stretched out as a starter.
"He's been up to five and six innings on the minor-league side, and the fastball-slider-changeup combination gives him three pitches to attack left-handers with," said Farrell. "We like the added power that he provides, and the sinking action that keeps the ball on the ground."
Farrell added that the team will shift to four starters once their initial six games come to an end, and they won't need a fifth starter again until April 21.
What happens then is unclear, although Farrell insisted nothing should be read into where Carreno and Drabek slotted into the rotation.
Carreno may very well go to the bullpen after his start, with Alvarez and Drabek making their second starts on regular rest thanks to the off-day on April 12. Carreno could then slide back into the rotation on the 21st, directly into the fifth spot.
The only other roster decision remaining, on infielder Luis Valbuena, will be made Wednesday, said Farrell.
He's out of options but has yet to be design.
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