Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dustin McGowan works against the Boston Red Sox during fifth inning MLB baseball action in Toronto Tuesday, September 6, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren CalabreseDarren Calabrese/The Canadian Press
It would appear that the Toronto Blue Jays just can't get enough of Dustin McGowan.
After a successful return to major-league competition on Tuesday night, Blue Jays manager John Farrell said there is a chance that the 29-year-old right-hander could get the start in Sunday's game against the Baltimore Orioles.
The odd man out would be Luis Perez, who struggled badly in his last outing on Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox.
"There's discussion about that," Farrell told reporters on Wednesday, confirming that McGowan could get the start.
"Right now we're anticipating Luis is going to start on Sunday. We may determine some time in the next couple of days that we may look to make a shift there and start Dustin in that spot."
Returning to the major-leagues after an absence of more than three years recovering from shoulder miseries, McGowan threw a strong four-plus innings of mop-up relief duty during Tuesday's 14-0 victory by the Red Sox.
The 29-year-old allowed three runs on five hits while striking out five.
McGowan threw 75 pitches in the contest and Farrell said the plan is to bump him up to 80 to 85 for his next outing, which is close enough to what is expected from a starter.
Given his history of arm problems, McGowan is being treated like a starter already, available every fifth day which would make Sunday a logical spot to have him start a game.
With the September call-ups all having arrived, the Blue Jays lineup for Wednesday night's game against the Red Sox has a bit of a different flavour.
One of those newcomers, Surrey, B.C., native Adam Loewen, will get the start in right field no less in place of Jose Bautista, who will handle the designated hitter duties.
For Loewen, his rise back to the big leagues caps a remarkable odyssey that began three years ago when a fractured arm forced him to quit life as a major-league pitcher and reinvent himself as a hitter.
"This is like a dream come true to be playing for the Blue Jays as a hitter," Loewen said. "Now I'm actually doing what I want to do. It's very satisfactory and I feel really blessed to even still be playing at all."
Edwin Encarnacion will get the start at first base in place of Adam Lind, who will be given a day or two off so he can rest a sore wrist that's been bothering him.
Call-up David Cooper will likely start at first base on Thursday.
Lind has struggled at the plate of late, batting just .161 over his last 14 games.
"He still feels it," Farrell said of Lind's wrist injury. " I think right now he needs a couple of days down."