Toronto Blue Jays back on track after nightmarish start to season

Reports of the Toronto Blue Jays’ demise were greatly exaggerated. Winners of six of their last seven, they have climbed back into the thick of the playoff race.

The Toronto Blue Jays were among the first teams to receive a premature burial this season. And it’s hard to blame anyone for writing them off before April was even in the rearview mirror. The Jays claimed just one win in their first 10 games and entered May with a lowly 8-17 record. That put them eight games behind in the AL East before the campaign had even really gotten underway.

While the departure of Edwin Encarnacion was expected to weaken Toronto’s lineup, most expected them to still contend for a playoff spot. Their rotation, led by young guns Aaron Sanchez and Marcus Stroman, appeared ready to shoulder more of the load.

That didn’t exactly play out over the first several weeks of the season. Encarnacion has struggled in Cleveland, but the main pieces in the Jays offense weren’t faring much better. Stroman owns a strong 3.28 ERA through 11 outings, but Sanchez has made only three starts so far due to a persistent blister issue. The right-hander, who led the American League in ERA a season ago, doesn’t have a clear timetable for a return.

Despite the injury problems and nearly everything seeming to go wrong early, the Blue Jays have started to heat up and turn things around over the course of this month. They sport a 16-10 record in May with two games to go before the calendar turns. After falling as many as 11 games below .500 on April 28, Toronto has won six of its last seven to climb to a 24-27 mark.

The Blue Jays lineup has come alive during the recent hot streak, no more so than during yesterday’s 17-2 thrashing of the Cincinnati Reds. Toronto has scored at least seven runs in five of its last 10 victories. After scoring only 89 runs in April, good for just 28th in the league, the Jays have bounced all the way up to eighth in May with 137 runs scored.

Many of the team’s key bats are beginning to find it as we head toward June. Justin Smoak, labeled by many a disappointing former top prospect, surprisingly leads the club with 12 home runs and 34 RBI. He’s slashing a torrid .357/.481/.833 over his last 13 games. Six of his homers have come during that span.

After hitting .227 in April, offseason free agent addition Kendrys Morales boasts a .296/.360/.568 slash line in May. He’s contributed nine round-trippers and 27 RBI to the Jays’ cause. Veteran Jose Bautista, who seemed far from a lock to return to Toronto over the winter, also appears to be finding his groove. He is batting a scorching .447/.522/.842 in his last 11 contests and has collected nine homers and 27 RBI thus far on the season.

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The Jays offense indeed looks to be humming again, and keep in mind that Josh Donaldson has been limited to only 12 games with a strained calf injury. The former MVP was just recently activated from the disabled list.

Despite missing Sanchez, J.A. Happ and Francisco Liriano for extended periods of time, the rotation has done a fair job keeping Toronto afloat. Along with Stroman, Marco Estrada has been a steady presence on the staff, posting a 3.15 ERA through 68.2 innings in 11 outings.

Pressed into starter duty, even reliever Joe Biagini has played a positive role. He has avoided embarrassing himself in five starts, managing a 3.86 ERA in those appearances. In his most recent outing, he held the Rangers to two runs in six innings while striking out seven.

As for the bullpen, closer Roberto Osuna has converted nine of 12 save opportunities to the tune of a 2.89 ERA. His 1.79 FIP paints an even better picture. Ryan Tepera has emerged as an effective relief option, logging 29.1 innings with a 2.76 ERA and 0.89 WHIP.

Next: Jays prospect Zeuch making strides in minors

At 6.5 games behind in their division, the Blue Jays aren’t quite nipping at the heels of the AL East leaders just yet. However, they’re definitely moving in the right direction. They are currently only three games out of the AL’s second Wild Card spot. After an ugly start, Toronto is right back in the mix. As injured players continue to return, they look to have the talent to remain there.