Toronto Blue Jays recall right-hander Tepera, option switch-pitcher Venditte

TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays recalled right-hander Ryan Tepera from the Buffalo Bisons on Wednesday and optioned switch-pitcher Pat Venditte to the triple-A club.

Tepera made 32 appearances for the Blue Jays last year, going 0-2 with a 3.27 earned-run average. He was 0-1 with a 7.27 ERA over eight appearances with the Bisons this season.

“He should’ve made the team coming out of spring training, but then we picked up Franklin Morales and that hurt him,” said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. “He’s back where he belongs.

“He did some good things for us last year, he struggled a bit at the end there but he really showed us something. He’s got a good arm.”

Venditte did not record a decision in five relief appearances with the Blue Jays. He had a 7.36 ERA over 3 2/3 innings pitched.

Gibbons says Toronto’s bullpen is decieving with Tepera starting the season in the minors and Bo Schultz recovering from off-season hip surgery.

“Tepera, we think he’s just going to keep getting better,” said Gibbons in his Rogers Centre office ahead of Wednesday night’s game with the Chicago White Sox. “Bo Schultz, when he finally makes it back, he looked like he was coming into his own a little bit.”

Schultz will start his rehab assignment at single-A Dunedin on Thursday. Morales and fellow left-handed reliever Aaron Loup will begin throwing off the mound soon. Loup was shut down in early March with a flexor strain his left elbow.

Second baseman Devon Travis, recovering from surgery on his left shoulder in the off-season, will take some at bats in an extended spring-training game on Friday.