Phillies’ Rob Thomson feels bad for fired Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo

TORONTO — Rob Thomson’s return to Canada has been full of reunions with family, friends, and former teammates. The Ontario native was born in Sarnia, raised in Corunna, and played semipro baseball in nearby Stratford. This two-game series against the Blue Jays in Toronto, just a few hours away from where he grew up, felt all too familiar to the Phillies’ interim manager.

It felt even more familiar a few hours before the Phillies took the field on Wednesday evening. By then, Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo had been fired, making Montoyo the third in-season firing of 2022 thus far. Thomson was quite familiar with the first — Joe Girardi — whom he replaced on June 3. John Schneider, Toronto’s bench coach, was named interim manager. The Blue Jays were 46-42 after Tuesday’s win over the Phillies, and held the final American League wild-card spot.

“It’s too bad,” Thomson said on Wednesday. “I hate to see people get fired, I really do. I know Charlie’s a good man, and I know John is a good man, too. But any time somebody gets fired, it’s tough to see.”

Thomson doesn’t know Schneider well but said the two had previously exchanged text messages. If he could impart a piece of advice to the new guy, Thomson said it would be to “be himself.” That ethos has certainly worked for Thomson, who had led the Phillies to 24-13 record in Girardi’s absence entering Wednesday.

A few hours before game time, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski approached Thomson with a joke.

“He said I’m the longest-tenured manager on the field today,” Thomson said with a smile.

Thomson said that left-handed starter Ranger Suárez threw a light bullpen session on Wednesday, and that there’s a “pretty good chance” Suárez could make a start in Miami on Saturday. Suárez has been on the injured list since July 3 (retroactive to June 30) with lower back spasms.

Left-handed reliever JoJo Romero, who underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2021, has been progressing well in his rehab assignment, Thomson said. Romero pitched in triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday and gave the IronPigs a scoreless inning, with one hit and one strikeout, and earned the save.

“He pitched very well,” Thomson said. “Today is his last day of rehab assignment, so we have to do something with him.”

Romero has two minor league options. Once he’s activated, the Phillies could call him up to the big league team, or send him back to Lehigh Valley.

The Phillies selected the contracts of infielder Will Toffey from triple-A Lehigh Valley and right-handed pitcher Bubby Rossman from double-A Reading as substitute players on Wednesday. Right-handed pitcher Michael Kelly was optioned to Lehigh Valley. Rossman was replacing one of the players (Kyle Gibson) on the restricted list while the Phillies are in Toronto. Toffey was called up after Kelly was sent down. Rossman was signed out of independent ball and throws hard — in the upper 90s — with a three-pitch mix. He’s been built up to go multiple innings if need be. Toffey is a utility infielder who was acquired from San Francisco in March.