DUNEDIN, Florida – Surely, after Drew Hutchisons latest Grapefruit League performance, only injury or a couple of calamitous outings will keep him out of the Blue Jays starting rotation when camp breaks in a little over two weeks. Manager John Gibbons wasnt taking the bait on Friday afternoon following his clubs 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Red Sox. "When we put the team together, well announce it at the end," said Gibbons. "Nice try, though." Pressed further, Gibbons was only slightly more willing to share what everyone believes hes thinking about his 23-year-old right-hander. "Hes doing everything he needs to do," said Gibbons. "When the time comes, everybody will know." Hutchison pitched five innings on Friday with his only blemish coming in the fifth, when a Corey Brown double cashed in Jonny Gomes. He struck out seven Red Sox, didnt walk a batter, scattered four hits and threw 51 of his 71 pitches for strikes. Once again, Hutchison commanded the strike zone. Continuing the trend he set from the start of camp, Hutchisons fastball routinely clocked at 95 miles per hour. Surely the young hurler knows hes pitching his way onto the team. Regardless, he insists hes not looking ahead, his post-start dance with the media as seasoned as his stuff on the mound. "Stay in the moment," said Hutchison. "It doesnt do me any benefit to think ahead or think behind. You just focus on each pitch and continue to execute and perform." The Blue Jays love Hutchisons will to compete. Coaches say hes not satisfied with being a big leaguer. He wants more; he expects to be a staff ace one day. Hutchison displayed that mentality in a full count showdown with Red Sox slugger Mike Napoli to lead off the second inning. He lamented a two-strike change-up earlier in the at-bat. Napoli fouled it off. Hutchison felt he could have better gotten on top of the pitch. He went back to the fastball and, on the eighth pitch of the showdown, froze Napoli with a heater on the outside corner. He addressed the approach to Napoli. "When you get in that deep of a count, youve got to win that," said Hutchison. "It drives your pitch count up, so youve got to make sure you get him." If the Blue Jays are to contend in the American League East, the club needs at least one pitcher to step up and pleasantly surprise. Hutchison fits the bill, although he isnt shocked in the least by his successful spring. "No, Im not surprised," he said. "As far as everybody else, Im not really concerned about it. I prepared myself coming into camp to have a good camp and have a good year." HAPP FEELS "GOOD" J.A. Happ threw three scoreless innings in a minor league game on Friday. It marked his first appearance in more than a week with what the Blue Jays and Happ say inflammation in his back. "I felt good," said Happ. "It was good. Exciting. I felt normal out there, which is really nice." He threw 43 pitches, giving up a hit and a walk, while striking out two. Happ was away from the Blue Jays for two days last Friday and Saturday. The Blue Jays say Happ was prescribed bed rest. Happ didnt want to miss any time. "I wasnt too far away," said Happ. "It was just something we need to take a step backward in order to go forward. We tried to take care of it with a few things and I think it definitely helped." What exactly was wrong? "Just some inflammation," said Happ. "We think there was something that was kind of pushing on the nerve that was sending some discomfort my way for a little while. We tried to ease that and I think weve taken a step in the right direction." The Blue Jays had a radar gun at Happs start. Happ said his fastball clocked 91-93 miles per hour. He hopes to build to 90 pitches by his final spring start. Happ didnt wish to address comments made last week by general manager Alex Anthopoulos that hes now competing for a spot in the starting rotation. "My comment is no comment," he said. "That was probably disappointing to hear but theres nothing I want to say about it." Manager John Gibbons has only one concern about Happ. "Weve got to make sure his back is healthy." DIAZ BACK "HOME" After one season with the Red Sox organization, infielder Jonathan Diaz is back where his career began. "It almost feels like I never left," he said. "It feels like home. I was here for so long and Im very familiar with a lot of the guys and the coaches, so it just feels like home." Diaz, 28, was a 12th-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2006. At 59" and 165 pounds, hes a smaller player known for his big glove. Often playing in the back end of Grapefruit League games, hes seemingly matched starter Jose Reyes big play for big play. It hast been an easy journey. Diaz was the final cut from Blue Jays camp in the spring of 2011. Playing at Triple-A Las Vegas, hed gotten off to the best offensive start of his career. In mid-May, he and his wife Kerry were in the backseat of a Vegas taxi. The driver ran a red light. The car was t-boned. Diaz suffered a concussion. Kerry had broken ribs, a separated shoulder and a lacerated spleen. Both were knocked unconscious and awoke in hospital. Diaz needed two months to recover from the symptoms. "It was hard focusing, disoriented and all that stuff," he said. "The funny thing was, when I started running, my eyes had a hard time adjusting and they would wobble." When he returned after the All-Star Break, Diaz was at Double-A New Hampshire. He would finish the season there. When Yunel Escobar went down in September, Diaz hoped for a call up and the chance to make his major league debut. It wasnt to be. Fast forward almost two years to June 29, 2013, the day Diaz first appeared in a big league game. It was Fenway Park. The Blue Jays were there, but he was wearing a Boston uniform. "It was just like, youre writing a story," said Diaz. "It kind of made me more comfortable because I knew a lot of guys on the other side. I knew what they did and I had a scouting report in my head already about all of the guys, so it made me more comfortable in my first game." Diaz appeared in only five games for the Red Sox, spending most of the season with Bostons top minor-league affiliate in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Still, hell be getting a World Series ring. "Its very special," he said. "I wish I would have played a little bit of a bigger part in the whole process, but its definitely something Im going to cherish for a long time." Just getting to the major leagues, when it appeared the taxi cab accident had taken away his chance, means more to Diaz now than he could ever have imagined. "I feel blessed enough to finally make it to the big leagues last year because sometimes the windows in this game are very small and it could have been my only window," he said. "Luckily, I got the opportunity last year with Boston. That took away a lot of the emotional stuff that I had from the accident that maybe Ill never make it again because of it." Ron Cey Cubs Jersey . The Henry Burris-led squad finished second in the East Division before advancing to the Grey Cup where they ultimately fell to the home field advantage wielding Saskatchewan Roughriders. Bill Madlock Cubs Jersey . According to the CFL Scouting Bureaus January rankings, four of the top five Canadian prospects line-up on the offensive side of the trenches, which is good news for Bombers general manager Kyle Walters. With only one selection in the first two rounds — Walters sent his second-round pick to Saskatchewan in the days ahead of the 2013 trade deadline — the No. https://www.cheapcubs.com/2960t-dillon-m...ersey-cubs.html. The club announced Friday that Mauro Biello will be kept on as an assistant to coach Jesse Marsch when the Impact join the MLS in 2012. Brandon Kintzler Cubs Jersey . -- Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew practiced in a limited capacity Friday, a positive sign he might be able to play against the Tennessee Titans. Kyle Ryan Cubs Jersey . Yoenis Cespedes proved he can play through a hurting right heel, giving Scott Kazmir and the As a spark with a pair of RBIs that helped spoil the Minnesota Twins home opener with an 8-3 victory on Monday. CHICAGO -- After hitting his first career grand slam, Junior Lake came up next time with runners on first and second with nobody out. But instead of swinging for the fences, the 23-year-old rookie dropped down a bunt for a base hit that eventually led to two runs. That extra offence proved vital in the Cubs 8-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday. "Youve either savvy or youre not a very selfish player because its hard to go up there after hitting a grand slam and not think about having two homers and seven ribbies in your pocket," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. "But that led to bases loaded and nobody out and we ended up getting two out of it. Its nice to see a guy thinking about other things other than his own stats." Lake, who went 2 for 4 and has hit five homers since being called up on July 19, said that was what he was thinking. "Im just doing whats best for the team," he said through an interpreter. "I can get the bunt down and beat it out for a base hit to load the bases, or if Im out, its like a sacrifice. "I have confidence in my teammates." The Cubs jumped on Brewers starter Kyle Lohse (9-9) in the first inning. Nate Schierholtz singled with one out and runners on first and second to drive in the first run. Two batters later, Lake homered on a 1-0 slider to complete the five-run inning. "He missed location a lot. And when he missed location, they didnt miss the pitch," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said of Lohse. "He didnt make too many quality pitches there the first inning." The Brewers scored in the second and third innings to make it 5-2. Cubs starter Chris Rusin made it 7-2 with a two-run single in the bottom of the third after Lake had his bunt single. Rusin had more success at the plate than on the mound. After getting the first two outs in the fourth, he gave up consecutive hits to Norichika Aoki and Jean Segura, and was pulled from the game. With right-handed power hitter Jonathan Lucroy due up, Sveum replaced the left-handed Rusin with right-hander Carlos Villanueva (5-8) and he got the final out in the inning and earned the victory.dddddddddddd "I was wild today, just a little wild and I had a tough time trying to find a rhythm," Rusin said. "But the bullpen did a good job. They came in and closed the door." Said Sveum: "He got his pitch count up and I think he would tell you he didnt have his best stuff or command today. But it was huge coming up with that hit, thats for sure." Especially after Milwaukees Scooter Gennett hit a pinch-hit three-run homer off Pedro Strop to make it 7-5 in the eighth. The Cubs added a run in the inning when Donnie Murphy led off with a single and scored on shortstop Seguras throwing error. Kevin Gregg got the final three outs for his 30th save in 35 chances. "Its kind of always one of those benchmarks for a closer," Gregg said of 30 saves. "From the way my year started, its pretty exciting to get to. "Being released out of spring training and not having a job for the first two weeks of the season, it was a pleasant surprise, I guess." NOTES: The Cubs activated recently acquired RHP Daniel Bard before the game, but whether he pitches in a game this season remains to be seen. Before he throws in a game, the Cubs at least want to see him throw on the side a couple of times. After battling an abdominal strain this season, Bard said hes healthy and hopes to correct the problems with mechanics he believes robbed him of his high-90s fastball while with the Boston Red Sox. ... Khris Davis was in the Brewers lineup playing left field and batting sixth, but was scratched because of soreness in his left wrist. He is listed day to day. ... The Cubs announced that RHP Scott Baker will start the series finale Sunday. It will be his first start since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. ... The Cubs Jake Arrieta (2-1) will face Johnny Hellweg (0-3) on Saturday. ' ' '