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Toronto Blue Jays reliever Aaron Loup available for Game 6 against Royals
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Toronto reliever Aaron Loup was back with the Blue Jays for Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Friday against the Kansas City Royals.
He had missed Game 5 to be with his wife Leighann as she delivered a pre-term baby boy in the Dallas area on Wednesday.
Loup, in an interview on sports radio station The Fan 590, said both mother and baby Wyatt are doing well.
“It’s been tough and quite a juggling act,” he said. “But we’re through it now.”
Loup hasn’t pitched since a Game 2 defeat last Saturday. In an interview on Sportsnet, he added that he appreciates the support he has received from fans and the team over the last two weeks.
“It’s definitely been a roller-coaster ride between taking care of her and the baby, and at the same time worrying about baseball,” Loup said. “It’s been a tough little juggling act. But (we’ve) come through it pretty good. We’ve got a long way to go still but it’s going well right now.”
The 27-year-old has a 4.50 earned-run average in four appearances this post-season.
“I don’t think you’re going to see him with the game on the line,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said before the game. “I wouldn’t expect that but you don’t know how the game is going to lay out either.”
Blue Jays left-hander David Price was the Game 6 starter against Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura. Gibbons said it was “somewhat” of an all-hands-on-deck relief situation with his team needing a victory to force a seventh game on Saturday night.
He added that it’s possible Marcus Stroman — currently tabbed as the Game 7 starter — could be used out of the bullpen depending on the situation.
Most relievers are available for Game 6 after the off-day Thursday.
Loup is a valuable option as the lone southpaw in the bullpen since Brett Cecil is out with a calf injury. Loup was 2-5 in the regular season with a 4.46 ERA over 60 appearances.
Right-hander Johnny Cueto is tabbed as the Game 7 starter for the Royals.
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