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DUNEDIN, Florida – Ryan Goins 35th-career major league game will be his first on an Opening Day. "Yes he is the second baseman," said manager John Gibbons, confirming Goins has made the team. "Thats official today." The Blue Jays love Goins glove. General manager Alex Anthopoulos said earlier this spring he believes Goins is the best defensive second baseman the club has had since the days of Orlando Hudson, going so far as to call Goins Gold Glove-caliber. Goins offence, specifically his lack of offensive production, is where the concern lies, although youd be hard-pressed to find anyone in the organization to admit to it publicly. Instead, there is great optimism, most notably from hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, whos developed a bond with Goins dating back to a week spent together in Kansas City during the offseason. The two continue to work on adjusting Goins swing, the latest tweak made Sunday morning before a trip to play the Yankees. Goins has changed the position of his hands in his stance on multiple occasions, first bringing them down and then bringing them in closer to his body. The latest adjustment involves the elimination of a small hitch as Goins cocks his bat, allowing him to get his bat through the strike zone quicker and better square up the pitch. The hitch wasnt happening during soft toss and batting practice but would appear in game action. Far too often, Goins was rolling over on pitches. He hit into a double play in his first at-bat against the Yankees on Sunday but his contact was solid, which is viewed as a positive step. The pitch was a 94 mile per hour cut fastball. The club says it isnt just about results. "I just took a chance yesterday of getting (his hands) back even further and then just saying, feel like theyre not moving, which theyre still going to move but mentally hes thinking theyre not doing anything, load with your body, and his BP was probably the best its been yesterday," said Seitzer. "I feel like Im in a good place," said Goins. "Going into the season I feel like Im ready to go, ready to get it going. The hits havent come in spring training but Ive really made some strides and had some production and really been working on stuff so that when the season comes I dont have to worry. Thats kind of what spring training is for, to get your timing and get everything ready for the season so I think Im in a good spot." The Blue Jays held their annual minor league awards banquet at the Bobby Mattick complex on Monday morning. Goins took home the Triple-A MVP award for his 2013 season at Buffalo. He acquitted himself well defensively with the Blue Jays in 34 games following a mid-August call up. Hell bat ninth, where his .609 OPS from last season belongs and Gibbons has said Goins will need to "hold his own." The club is willing to trade some offence for defence at the bottom of the order. "Thats my job is to make productive outs," said Goins. "Whatever way I can help the team. Hitting a ground ball to the right side to get a guy over, bunting guys over, getting them in from third, just however I can get them in Im willing to do it. Whatever I need to do to stay here." "Hes doing everything that he needs to do to give himself the best chance against big league pitching," said Seitzer. "Im ecstatic from that standpoint. Hes seeing the ball good, recognitions good, plate disciplines been much better than what I understand its been in the past. Hes very confident on whats going on." REYES UNDERGOES MRI While Jose Reyes insists hes not concerned about the tightness hes feeling in his left hamstring, its enough of a concern that he underwent an MRI on Monday afternoon. Reyes was lifted after the third inning of Saturdays game against Detroit. Is this something he would play through if the games mattered? "Its not the regular season," said Reyes. "The regular season hasnt started yet so I cant think that way. Right now, thats my goal is to be ready for opening day." Manager John Gibbons says Ryan Goins likely will be the clubs shortstop on days when Jose Reyes needs a rest or is injured. Goins is a natural shortstop. MORROWS OUTING Brandon Morrow pitched five innings and threw a personal spring high of 74 pitches in Mondays 6-3, rain-shortened loss to the Phillies. His line was mixed: four earned runs on five hits, three walks and four strikeouts. "Obviously I would have liked to not have walked the two guys in the two scoring innings," said Morrow. "That kind of set up the scoring innings for them." Morrow has one more start before hes penciled in to pitch either the fourth or the fifth game of the season. Hell make that start on Saturday at Olympic Stadium in Montreal and the plan is for Morrow to exceed the 74 pitches he threw on Monday. Manager John Gibbons says the club will closely monitor Morrows pitch count during his early regular season outings. JANSSEN MAKES FIRST GRAPEFRUIT LEAGUE APPEARANCE Casey Janssen, whos been on his own program this spring as he battles stiffness in the back of his pitching shoulder, stranded two Phillies singles over a scoreless inning in his first Grapefruit League appearance this year. A control artist not known for his velocity, Janssen wasnt concerned that his fastball topped out at 86 miles per hour. "I think as I continue to challenge my arm the velocity will come," said Janssen. "Still kind of feel like youre kind of breaking through some stuff from the winter and each and every day you kind of hit a new high and continue on like that." Janssen plans to pitch on back to back days on Thursday, against the Phillies in Clearwater, and on Friday versus the Mets in Montreal. TUIASOSOPO ARRIVES Its been quite the odyssey for Matt Tuiasosopo, who was finally in a Blue Jays uniform on Monday morning. "A little crazy," he said. "Flown a lot of miles." Tuiasosopo was in Sydney, Australia, where his former team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, played two season-opening games against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was placed on waivers and picked up by the Blue Jays on Friday, necessitating a Sydney-to-Dallas-to-Tampa trip, 16 hours all told, not to mention the time change. Tuiasosopo is a right-handed hitter with some pop. He has a career .638 OPS hitting against left-handers in a limited major league sample size. He offers the Jays some defensive versatility, able to play the two corner outfield positions as well as first base and third base. "Not a lot of time, just a couple of days," said Tuiasosopo. "Better make the most of every opportunity I get." CAMP CUTS The Blue Jays pared down their major league roster by four bodies on Monday. Outfielder Anthony Gose was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. Infielders Chris Getz and Steve Tolleson, and catcher Mike Nickeas were reassigned to minor league camp. Goose Gossage White Sox Jersey . -- LaMarcus Aldridge returned to the Trail Blazers lineup, happy to know that things didnt go awry without him. George Kell White Sox Jersey . McCutchen hit his first home run in over a month, doubled twice and scored two runs to help the Pirates beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 on Sunday and take three of four from the defending NL West champions. https://www.cheapwhitesox.com/294e-al-lopez-jersey-white-sox.html .A. Happ? Happs seven wins are second on the staff to Mark Buehrles 10. Win-loss record is an antiquated stat, sure, but win total is generally an indication of a pitchers ability to work deep into games, enough to be personally affected by the result. Ivan Nova Jersey . Omar Rahou made the discriminatory gesture several times while celebrating scoring a goal against Romania at Antwerp in January, UEFA said. The sanction was double the five-match ban Nicolas Anelka received from an English Football Association independent tribunal last week for the same act. Ross Detwiler Jersey . The union filed a grievance late Thursday, one day after Goodell suspended four players who participated in bounties from 2009-11. The complaint says Goodell is prohibited from punishing players for any aspect of the case occurring before the new collective bargaining agreement was signed last August. DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Brandon Morrow allowed five runs and six hits over three innings in the Toronto Blue Jays 6-4 loss Wednesday to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Morrow was making his second appearance since a season-ending forearm injury last May. On Feb. 28, the right-hander gave up two hits and one run in two relief innings. "The important thing, I felt good again," Morrow said. "Forearm is feeling really good. I felt loose again. I felt good with my breaking stuff. Fastball command kind of put me in a hole a couple times." Morrow struck out two, walked one, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch. "Hes big," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "In a lot of ways hes probably the most important guy, because we expected a lot out of him last year. Hes got as good an arm as anybody. When hes on, when hes healthy, hes been a good big league pitcher. If he can fill that void, bounce back and have a full season out there where he doesnt go on the DL and you get his 30-plus starts, that will be big for us." Travis Snider had a first-inning RBI single and a two-run homer in the third off Morrow. Snider spent time on the disabled list last season with a left big toe injury. "Travis worked extremely hard this winter," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. "Hes moving so much better. Now thats he healthy and physically ready to go, well see where he can take us." Edwin Encarnacion had a two-run double for the Blue Jays. STARTING TIME Blue Jays: Mark Buehrle will go against Pitttsburghs Gerrit Cole when the two teams play again Thursday in Bradenton.dddddddddddd Pirates: Jeff Locke was scratched from his start because of right side tightness. The Pirates believe the injury is a minor one. Locke gave up one hit in two scoreless innings last Thursday against the New York Yankees. The left-hander won eight straight starts in the first half of last season and made the NL All-Star team. But, he went 2-5 with a 6.12 ERA over his final 12 starts and was shut down in September. Jay Jackson, who filled in for Locke, gave up one hit in two scoreless innings. The 26-year old right-hander, signed to a minor league contract in December, pitched at Double-A and Triple-A for Miami last year. Pittsburgh starters have not allowed an earned run in five consecutive games, a span of 10 innings. TRAINERS ROOM Blue Jays: Closer Casey Janssen, out with a sore right shoulder, played catch for the second straight day. Outfielder Colby Rasmus sat out his fourth consecutive game due to a stiff neck. REASSIGNMENTS The Blue Jays sent right-hander Tomo Ohka, left-hander Juan Perez, and catchers Derrick Chung and Jack Murphy to their minor league camp this week. Ohka, who last pitched in the major leagues in 2009, agreed to a minor league contract with the Blue Jays in December. The 37-year-old was 51-68 for Boston (1999-01), Montreal (2001-04), Washington (2005), Milwaukee (2005-06), Toronto (2007) and Cleveland (2009). He has played in Japan for Yokohama (1995-98 and 2010-11) and Toyama (2013). ' ' '