Drury, Jays open road trip vs. White Sox
The Toronto Blue Jays will begin a season-long 10-game road trip when they visit the Chicago White Sox to open a three-game series Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Toronto (46-55) will welcome a new player just in time for the trip. Infielder Brandon Drury is set to join the club one day after the Blue Jays acquired him and outfielder Billy McKinney in exchange for left-hander J.A. Happ.
Drury, 25, could get an opportunity to play more often with Toronto. He appeared in only 18 games for the Yankees after an early-season injury opened the door for Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar to seize regular roles.
The lack of playing time, along with a prolonged stint with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, were not what Drury had in mind when the Yankees acquired him in a three-team deal in February. He proved to be a capable everyday player with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he hit .282 with 16 home runs and 53 RBI in 134 games in 2016, followed by hitting .267 with 13 home runs and 63 RBI in 2017.
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said he was excited to land Drury in the trade.
"We've always really liked Brandon," Atkins told the Toronto Star. "We talked a lot about him before he was a New York Yankee. The great thing about talent at this level, at this stage in their career, is how much conviction you do have that there will be a significant contribution.
"Brandon has (performed well) in the major leagues over several years, and this year just hasn't had quite the opportunity. We feel like we can have that for him moving forward. Whether that's at second or at third or in the outfield, or some combination of all three, we will see."
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Drury deserved an opportunity.
"This is a big-league player that we've had to have in Triple-A for a lot of the year just because obviously all that transpired early in the season," Boone told reporters during a pregame interview Thursday. "Sometimes, this game is not really fair. To his credit, he's been a pro the whole time. ... This is a fresh opportunity for him where he can go and let his talent show, a talent we think is real."
The Blue Jays could use a boost. They have lost three straight games and five of eight.
Chicago (36-66) also is hoping for a winning weekend after dropping back-to-back games on the road against the Los Angeles Angels. The White Sox will open a six-game, seven-day homestand.
White Sox right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (4-8, 4.13 ERA) will try to bounce back from a recent slump. He is 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA (13 earned runs in 17 1/3 innings) in his past three starts. In one career start against Toronto, he allowed one run in six innings and did not factor in the decision.
Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman (3-7, 5.42 ERA) will go for his second victory in a row. He pitched well Saturday as he limited the Baltimore Orioles to one run on five hits in seven innings. In six career starts against the White Sox, he is 1/3 with a 6.00 ERA.
Like the Blue Jays, the White Sox made a trade Thursday, although it did not yield any big leaguers such as Drury. They shipped closer Joakim Soria to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for a pair of minor-league prospects.
