Toronto @ Tampa Bay preview

Toronto at Tampa Bay

Last Meeting ( Apr 24, 2010 ) Toronto 3, Tampa Bay 9

John Jaso has made the most out of his rare opportunities to play for the Tampa Bay Rays. After Saturday, the reserve catcher may get even more chances.

Jaso and the Rays host the Toronto Blue Jays in the finale of a three-game series at Tropicana Field today. The two teams split the first two contests.

Jaso was pressed into action just before Saturday’s win when starter Dioner Navarro was scratched with soreness in his lower right leg. Jaso responded with his first major league home run, a two-run shot the fifth inning and added another RBI when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the Rays’ seven-run eighth inning.

Tampa Bay’s 9-3 victory kept the team a half-game ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East.

Jaso was called up from Triple-A Durham after Kelly Shoppach went on the 15-day disabled list with a torn meniscus. He is expected to miss up to six weeks. That gave the starting job back to incumbent Navarro.

But Navarro may miss a few more games soon. In Friday’s loss to the Blue Jays, Navarro got into a heated shouting match with home plate umpire Dan Bellino. Navarro was ejected for arguing a pitch from Grant Balfour that was called a ball.

Replays showed that in the dispute Navarro made contact with the umpire, which could lead to a suspension.

That could give Jaso more time.

Jaso, a 27-year-old who was drafted by the Rays in the 12th round in 2003, is batting .364 with a homer and four RBIs in 11 at-bats this season. Jaso appeared in five games in 2008 but remained in Durham last year.

David Price will make the start for the Rays. The hard-throwing left-hander is 2-1 with a 3.20 ERA. Price was brought along slowly by the Rays - partly because of financial reasons - but is clearly one of the foundations of the Tampa rotation for the next several years.

Price had a win and save in Tampa’s run to the World Series in 2008.

The Blue Jays counter with converted reliever Brandon Morrow (1-1), who has struggled in his brief time with Toronto. Morrow has a robust 7.39 ERA thanks largely to eight walks and three home runs in just 16 innings.