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The Toronto Blue Jays are planning to call up left-hander Ricky Romero prior to Friday's game to replace the injured Josh Johnson in the rotation, reports Shi Davidi of SportsNet. To make room for Romero, the club is expected to designate right-hander Justin Germano for assignment.
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The 28-year-old Romero's recent fall from grace has been well-documented, so I'll just briefly recap here. Toronto's Opening Day starter in 2011 and 2012, Romero had an absolutely abysmal season last year -- a 5.77 ERA and 5.2 BB/9 in 181 innings. He showed no signs of improvement at camp this spring, so the Blue Jays demoted him to their High-A affiliate to begin the year.
The southpaw got just one official start down in Dunedin -- tossing seven innings of one-run ball -- but is said to have overhauled his mechanics completely. Romero's biggest issue in the last year has been his control, so the coaching staff has tried to put him on more of a direct line to the plate and simplified his motion so he can avoid throwing across himself.
Romero certainly has his work cut out for him in his 2013 debut Friday evening, as he will throw opposite Mariners' ace Felix Hernandez.
Germano, 30, had his contract purchased by the Blue Jays last week when left-hander Aaron Laffey was designated for assignment. Germano made it into just one game in his week with the big club, allowing two runs on six hits over two frames against the Red Sox on Wednesday.
