One misplaced pitch and the concerns that shadowed closer B.J. Ryan throughout the spring were thrust back to the forefront for the Blue Jays.
Ryan's first outing of the season -- a ninth-inning save opportunity against the Tigers on Tuesday night -- resulted in his first blown save of 2009. Detroit's Brandon Inge crushed the first pitch he saw from Ryan deep to center field for a game-tying solo home run, creating more questions about Ryan's status as the stopper.
On Wednesday, Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston indicated that he plans on trying to avoid using Ryan on consecutive days as much as possible this season. Gaston said he hasn't talked to the closer about the situation, but named Scott Downs and Brandon League as likely candidates to see some save chances this season.
"He's still battling to get his feet back on the ground and get his velocity back to where he likes to have it," said Gaston, referring to Ryan. "We don't want to hurt him, either. If you don't have to use him, we won't use him. If we do, then I might use him, or I might not."
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