Toronto Blue Jays send CL Scott Downs to DL

June 17, 2009 @ 14:01:04

By Bryce McRae
Edited by Tim Heaney

MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports on his Twitter page that the Toronto Blue Jays will place closer Scott Downs (toe) on the 15-day disabled list Thursday, June 18.

His sprained left toe is the only thing to have hampered Downs this year; the lefty has a miniscule 1.98 ERA with 28 K's in 27 1/3 innings. He has blown just one of his nine save opportunities this year. He was able to wear flip-flops, and his foot didn't appear swollen after the game Tuesday, June 16, so this injury might not be too serious. Stash him on your DL for now.

If you are looking for saves, relief pitcher Jason Frasor will take over closing duties for the time being. He has allowed just five earned runs (four in one appearance) in 23 2/3 innings this year. The righty has a solid 7.23 K rate this year, and he has experience saving games (17 in 2004 for Toronto and one earlier this season). Add him in all leagues; his ratios help even if he isn't closing.

Speculators could also nab deposed closer B.J. Ryan if Frasor is taken. He started the season as the ninth-inning option before hitting the DL. He's still not striking out many batters, but he hasn't allowed a run since May 27. It appears as though the adjustments he made last month to slow down his delivery are helping.

Relief pitchers Brandon League (23 K's, 5.93 ERA in 27 1/3 innings) and Jesse Carlson (1.50 ERA in April, 5.04 for the season) are two other options, but they are likely down the pecking order in the bullpen. They're both shaky AL options.

The Jays could also call up righty Jeremy Accardo, who has six saves for Triple-A Las Vegas this season. He wrapped up 30 games in 2007 when Ryan was hurt, and he has done well overall (3.38 ERA, 22-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio) since his demotoin at the end of Spring Training. He's an intriguing speculative target for AL leagues.

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Bryce McRae
Bryce McRae is a Managing Editor with KFFL and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1999. He joined KFFL as a volunteer writer in March 2005 before becoming a Hot off the Wire Analyst in March 2006. He began working in his current capacity in September 2008. His work has appeared on fantasy sports sites such as Yahoo! and CBS Sportsline as well as in print. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a B.A. in History and U.S. Studies.

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