You may well be right about AJ being rusty and I'm not disagreeing, just adding a little info that I ran across on the Jay's web site. It will be a big day for him and the Jays are the top hitting team in the Majors right now, I believe, or maybe the AL. In any case, maybe one should be cautious in fading them for any reason, right at the moment.
Starter A.J. Burnett, who signed a five-year, $55 million contract with Toronto in December, will be taking the mound for the first time this season. He's spent the better part of a month recovering from a minor right elbow injury that he suffered in Spring Training and he began this year on the 15-day disabled list.
"I'm here for a reason. They believe in me," Burnett said on Friday. "[Saturday is] my day, amongst many days in the future, to show [the Jays] that they didn't make a mistake -- that I'm here to compete and I'm here to win.
"I've never been nervous. So I'll probably expect to be nervous for the first time."
Burnett's arm injury was the result of having scar tissue break off in his elbow. It's a common occurance for pitchers who undergo Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery, which he did in 2003, when he was with the Marlins.
Whatever you do, good luck and enjoy the game, it should be a good one!
