Blue Jays' Jordan Romano: Expected back in '20

Pitching coach Pete Walker said Monday that the Blue Jays are "definitely hopeful" that Romano (finger) will be ready to pitch again before the end of the regular season, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Romano will be on a no-throw program for the next week or two while he contends with a sprained middle finger on his pitching hand, so he won't realistically be ready to return from the injured list until the second half of September. While that timeline likely makes Romano a justifiable drop in most formats, the right-hander could quickly reclaim a prominent role in the Toronto bullpen once he's activated. Prior to being shut down with the injury, Romano had seemingly emerged as the team's top closing option, recording saves in two of his final three appearances. With Ken Giles (forearm) also on the shelf, Anthony Bass could re-emerge as Toronto's primary closer in the short term, if the Blue Jays don't add any other end-game options prior to Monday's trade deadline.