RealGM

Jays right fielder Jose Bautista will miss the series against Oakland to deal with a “family matter.”

Before Tuesday’s series opener, Jays manager John Farrell said Bautista should rejoin the team early in the club’s west coast trip, which begins Friday in Anaheim.

“He’s been excused to tend to a family matter,” Farrell said.

An AP report out of the Dominican Republic said Bautista’s absence was due to the birth of his daughter, Estela Marie.

As a result of Bautista’s absence, Adam Lind moved from fourth to third in the batting order, where Bautista normally hits. Aaron Hill was slated to bat cleanup.

Farrell also had third baseman Edwin Encarnacion as designated hitter and Juan Rivera in right field. Jayson Nix started at third. Farrell said Bautista’s absence will give the club more opportunities to get Nix into the lineup.

The Toronto Blue Jays will face the Oakland Athletics this week without slugging right fielder Jose Bautista.

Bautista has been excused for the Jays’ three-game home series beginning Tuesday "to tend to a family matter," manager John Farrell told the Toronto Star. The newspaper reported that Bautista was granted an absence to be with his girlfriend for the birth of their baby boy.

Schadenfreude wrote:It's a girl, but the fact that she was born with a lush beard threw people off.

Schadenfreude wrote:It's a girl, but the fact that she was born with a lush beard threw people off.

Schadenfreude wrote:It's a girl, but the fact that she was born with a lush beard threw people off.

Hoopstarr wrote:Turns out Jose did hit a home run during the All-Star break

SharoneWright wrote:

The arrival of Bautista's daughter apparently qualifies as big news in Toronto. The Star even went as far as to publish a link to the Bautista's baby registry at Target and Babies 'R Us. Is it an invasion of their privacy? Most definitely. But how else is a hardcore Blue Jays fan going to get that $34.99 bottle warmer to his or her favorite home run hitter?