The Blue Jays have placed starting 2B Aaron Hill on the 15-day disabled list due to a sore right hamstring. His D.L. stint will be retroactive to April 20th. Hill has played in 16 games for the Blue Jays so far this year and he is 15 for 62 (.242 avg, .555 OPS) with 4 runs scored, 9 RBIs and 6 stolen bases. The Jays will continue starting John McDonald at 2B until Hill is ready to return to action. McDonald has played in 14 games for the Jays so far this year and he is 10 for 37 (.270 avg, .727 OPS) with 7 runs scored, 1 homer and 4 RBIs. McDonald is a outstanding defensive player but the Blue Jays are going to miss Hill’s bat.

The Blue Jays have placed 28-year old righty swinging 2B/3B Jayson Nix on the 15-day disabled list due to a left knee injury. Nix has played in 17 games for the Blue Jays so far this year and he is 11 for 45 (.244 avg, .793 OPS) with 7 runs scored, 2 homers, 5 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. The Jays have called back up 30-year old righty swinging IF/OF Mike McCoy to replace Nix on the roster. McCoy has played in 7 games for the Blue Jays already this year and he is 4 for 11 (.364 avg, .871 OPS) with 1 stolen base.

28-year old righty swinging shortstop Yunel Escobar is hitting the heck out of the baseball so far this year for the Blue Jays. Escobar has played in 16 games for the Blue Jays so far this year and he is 19 for 59 (.322 avg, .917 OPS) with 11 runs scored, 2 homers, 7 RBIs and 1 stolen base. I think the Blue Jays got the better end of the deal that sent Alex Gonzalez to the Braves for Escobar last summer. Escobar might not have the power of Gonzalez but he’s a much better overall hitter, and the Jays have enough sluggers on the team already.

The Toronto Blue Jays have gotten back 25-year old righty swinging 2B Brad Emaus from the Mets. The Mets took Emaus in the Rule 5 Draft over the winter. Emaus played in 14 games for the Mets this year and he was 6 for 37 (.162 avg, .424 OPS) with 2 runs scored and 1 RBI. He has played in 425 games in his first four years in the minors with the Blue Jays and he is 431 of 1,559 (.276 avg, .790 OPS) with 254 runs scored, 39 homers, 227 RBIs and 37 stolen bases. With all of the injuries the Blue Jays have suffered this season, they might need Emaus at some point so they are glad to have him back.

UPDATE: The Blue Jays have dealt Brad Emaus to the Colorado Rockies for 27-year old righty reliever/starter Chris Malone. Malone has pitched in 4 games (0 starts) in AA-ball so far this year and he is 1-0 with a 4.15 ERA and a 2.08 WHIP. He has now pitched in 167 games (50 starts) in his first 7 years in the minors and he is 18-30 with 10 saves, a 4.78 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. Malone isn’t much of a prospect which proves that the Blue Jays just didn’t want Emaus back.

The Toronto Blue Jays have sent 24-year old lefty starting pitcher Brett Cecil to AAA-ball. He has started 4 games for the Blue Jays so far this year and he is 1-2 with a 6.86 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP. Cecil just hasn’t thrown with the same velocity he had last season when he started 28 games for the Jays. He was 15-7 with a 4.22 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP last year. Cecil will likely get another chance at some point in 2011 if he gets back in the groove in AAA. 25-year old lefty Marc Rzepcynski appears to have the inside track to replace Cecil in the starting rotation. He has pitched in 8 games (0 starts) for the Blue Jays so far this year and he is 1-0 with a 4.15 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. The Blue Jays have recalled 34-year old righty swinging infielder Chris Woodward. Woodward has played in 12 games in AAA-ball so far this year and he is 15 for 49 (.306 avg, .889 OPS) with 6 runs scored, 2 homers and 7 RBIs. Woodward has played in parts of 11 years in the majors appearing in 648 games in which he is 408 of 1,696 (.241 avg, .665 OPS) with 208 runs scored, 33 homers, 191 RBIs and 9 stolen bases. Woodward will likely be a valuable piece off the bench for the Blue Jays going forward because of his versatility.