Ricky Ricky'ed, Jose Jose'ed

Just about exactly what we've grown to expect from Ricky.  1 hit, 4 walks, 7k's, 1 run over 8 innings.  Lotsa fun there, save for the first 3 batters of the 2nd inning, where Ricky walked, HBP and walked the first three respective batters, though it was twice as fun seeing him retire the next three batters with little problem.  Easy Zaunhead for Ricky.

Looks like all Jose Bautista needed was to face David Price one mo' 'gin to get back on the homerun trolley.  I can only assume that he's going to return to his crushing tater pace and hit another 15 this month.

Yunel Escobar got himself another homer too, his tenth of the year, an opposite field shot, no less.

What else is going on around the baseball world?  SBNation has this season's best gif's so far, and it is in a similar style as the funny link I put up yesterday with the trade deadline power ranking conversations.

In no particular order here... it looks like Jesse Litsch is going to stay in the bullpen for the rest of the year (and maybe forever?!?) to see if that might be where he's more useful to the team.  Translation: there are many people in this organization with more talent and upside than Jesse, so he has been relegated to the bullpen until someone decides that they want him.

Speaking of someone wanting Jesse, there was a fake twitter account yesterday trolling around saying that Litsch had been traded to the Cincinnati Reds.  The irony is so delicious there.  Unfortunately, it didn't take all that long for everyone to figure out that this didn't really happen.

Next, John Farrell said yesterday or the day before or something that Dustin Mcgowan will likely be added to the active roster at some point in September.  Wow.  Long road man.  Really hope it works out for him.  I have absolutely 0 expectation that he can return to the potential that he showed in 2006-08; simply making it back to the majors after all the shit that's gone on over the last 2.5 years is really impressive.  Making literally any impact would be the most delicious bacon-flavored icing on a really cool sideburn shaped cake.

Within the same piece, whomever wrote that tells us that the plan is to have Brett Lawrie up at some point this month, and that Jose Bautista will move back to RF, with Lawrie taking the lead at 3B.  This will presumably take AB's away from Eric Thames and/or Edwin Encarnacion.  I kind of remember writing about that a couple weeks ago.  It's as if I'm some sort of svenjolly or something.

Finally, Ben Goessling (@masnben on twitter) reports that, for some reason, Stephen Strasburg will begin his rehab starts this week.  MAYBE YOU SHOULD BE A LITTLE MORE CAREFUL WITH HIM THIS TIME AROUND.  LIKE YOU KNOW, MAYBE DON'T GET HIM BACK THROWING AGAIN LIKE  8 MONTHS AFTER TOMMY JOHN.  Whatever.