By Andrew Hendriks
Canadian Baseball Network
Although their season opener was postponed due to an untimely stretch of inclement weather within the western New York area, it remained a hectic afternoon for triple-A Buffalo on Thursday.
 
While a down pouring of rain battered the infield tarp at the corner of Swan and Washington Ave, the Blue Jays were busy claiming catcher Luke Maile off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays, and later announced that right-handed hurler Mike Bolsinger had officially cleared wavers and would be outrighted to the clubs International League affiliate.
 
Maile, 26, was designated for assignment on Saturday after appearing in 42 games with the Rays in 2016 and slashing .227/.252/.361 with three home runs over 126 plate appearances following his recall from triple-A Durham last July.
 
Selected in the eighth round of 2012’s June amateur draft, the product of Edgewood, KY has spent parts of the last five seasons in the Rays minor league system while producing modest offensive numbers that include a combined batting average of .257 with 106 extra-base hits in just over 1,400 at-bats.
 
On Thursday, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports suggested that the Blue Jays are still in the market or an upgrade with regards to their backup catcher, Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
 
Given his limited experience, it’s unlikely that Maile would unseat Saltalamacchia in this role. But with a combined 57 games of big-league experience under his belt, it’s worth noting that he joins the organization with more MLB service time than the Blue Jays current triple-A catching trio of Juan Graterol, Alex Monsalve and Mike Ohlman, who, in total, combine for only nine games at the big league level.
 
The Blue Jays ended their two-game set against Baltimore with an opening on the club’s 40-man roster. After his mid-afternoon addition on Thursday, Maile will now assume that vacant spot.
 
Bolsinger, 29, made six starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to coming over in a trade that sent Jesse Chavez to the Ravine last August. For his career, the Chicago native has appeared in 36 big league games while pitching to an ERA of 4.61 in just under 190 innings.
 
Now set to remain in the organization, he’ll join a group of fellow triple-A starters including Casey Lawrence and a trio of former MLB rotation pieces in Brett Oberholtzer, T.J. House and Mat Latos.
 
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