Lance Lynn is in The Best Shape of His Life

Add another name to the list, from Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch:

Cardinals righthander Lance Lynn, who was challenged and helped by the club to improve his fitness level during the offseason, arrived at the team’s complex Friday with a tightened haircut, no beard, and a significantly slimmed-down frame. Teammates joked they didn’t recognize him. …

Lynn declined to go into the exact details of his lean look, suggesting first that he dropped about 20 pounds from the weight he came to spring training in a year ago. He gained more weight during the season, and that did contribute to his struggles in August and inconsistency later.

Goold actually mentions BSOHL in the article, noting: “Lynn knows how that description is often met with a smirk. So, he didn’t say it.”

Self-awareness really ruins all the fun.

The Blue Jays placed right-hander Aaron Sanchez on the 10-day disabled list with a contusion in his right index finger, per a team announcement on Saturday. The assignment is retroactive to Friday. In a corresponding move, righty Marcus Stroman was activated from the DL (right shoulder fatigue) and will take the mound for the Blue Jays at 9:07 PM ET tonight.

Sanchez, 25, is in his fifth season with the club. He hasn’t looked his sharpest so far this year, going 3-5 in 15 starts with a career-worst 4.52 ERA, 5.1 BB/9 and 7.6 SO/9 through 79 2/3 innings. It’s not yet clear how long he’ll be sidelined, though he could miss as little as one turn in the rotation before returning to the roster in the next week or two.

Sanchez isn’t the only struggling starter in Toronto’s rotation, either. Per MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm, the team placed southpaw Jaime Garcia on the DL (right shoulder tenderness) as well, with lefty reliever Tim Mayza scheduled to take his spot on the roster. In 13 starts this season, Garcia carried a 2-6 record, 6.16 ERA, 4.5 BB/9 and 8.2 SO/9 over 61 1/3 innings. Any further decisions pertaining to the rotation — including Tuesday’s starter against the Astros — have yet to be publicly addressed.