TORONTO

Mark Buehrle faces the Boston Red Sox in Monday’s Labour Day matinee at Fenway Park.

The Blue Jays lefty will be working on seven days rest.

His previous outing saw him allow one earned run in six innings a week ago Sunday when the Jays beat the Detroit Tigers 9-2, so his regular turn should have been Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles.

“I’m not saying I’m not sore, it’s September,” said Buehrle. “I could have started against Baltimore. I’m as capable as starting Monday as I would have been Saturday or Sunday.”

Buehrle said he was called into the manager John Gibbons office and asked to pitch Monday.

Like any loyal employee he’s taking his turn “when he sees his name on the lineup card.”

In six August starts he was 3-1 with a 4.38 ERA.

Over the first four months the veteran was 11-5 with a 3.29 ERA in 20 starts.

Bears R Us

The rookies left the home clubhouse at the Rogers Centre carrying their own personally-designed Build-A-Bear.

Closer Roberto Osuna, set-up man Aaron Sanchez, second baseman Ryan Goins, right-hander Marcus Stroman, outfielder Dalton Pompey, relievers Bo Schultz and Ryan Tepera, plus bullpen catcher Greg Densem each had a large teddy bear under their arms. We don’t think Goins still qualifies for rookie status, but we did see him with a bear.

And they’ll be having their bears with them all the time on this 10-game, 11-day trip to Boston, New York and Atlanta plus the first three games of the final home stand against the Red Sox. They’ll be lugging the bears on to buses, into cabs, clubhouses, restaurants, museums — whereever their travels may take them — from Sunday until Sept. 20.

If not, it’s a $500 fine for a first offence. The fines climb over the next two instances when a rookie is caught without his bear, according to a veteran organizer who renamed nameless.

And as the clubhouse emptied there sat Devon Travis’ bear alone on his chair at his locker. Travis is on the disabled list with a left shoulder strain. He has been on the disabled list since July 29. The second baseman is in Dunedin and is not expected back until late in the month if at all.

Sounds like a better idea that making rookies dress up in goofy costumes.

“Oh, we might make them dress up too,” said one veteran.

Bird Land

Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman entered Sunday’s game 0-3 with a15.00 ERA in four starts against the Blue Jays. When the dust settled and the bombs finally landed he was 0-4 with a 15.50 ERA. Jose Bautista in the first, Troy Tulowitzki in the third and Kevin Pillar in the fourth all took Tillman deep. The O’s most reliable arm last year (13-6, 3.34 in 34 starts) has allowed 31 runs in 18 innings against the Jays on 35 hits (nine homers) and 10 walks ... Not that it was hot Sunday — how hot was it? It was so hot when manager Buck Showalter brought in Steve Johnson to replace Tillman in the fourth, outfielders Nolan Reimold, Adam Jones and Gerardo Parra headed to the O’s bullpen in right to towel off and get a drink ... Steve Johnson was the 12th Johnson to pitch for the O’s joining Chet Johnson (1946), Connie Johnson (1956-58), Dave C. Johnson (1974-75), Fred Johnson (1938-39), Don Johnson (1950-55), Ernie Johnson (1959), Dave W. Johnson (1989-91) Edmonton’s Mike Johnson (1997), Jason Johnson (1999-2003), Jim Johnson (2006-13) and Steve Johnson (2012-15).

Back from Bluefield

Catcher Josh Thole proudly has a rookie-class Bluefield Blue Jays cap in his locker. Impressing Thole on Dennis Holmberg’s club were catcher Andres Sotillo and infielder Yeltsin Gudino: “Sotillo has a big-time arm,” said Thole. “Gudino didn’t hit much (.185) but he can make all the plays. He was born in 1997 ... when I was in grade school.”

Thole, who didn’t play in either of the games he was there, spent his second season as a pro in the same Appalachian League with the Kingsport Mets in 2006. He said he spent a lot of time talking with the Bluefield catchers.

As is the norm when big leaguers visit minor league outposts, Thole picked up a $900 tab from The Outback treating the Bluefield team to steak and lobster after edging the Burlington Royals 4-2. “Dennis sent an email, thanking me and saying how much the boys loved it,” said Thole.

The Royals, managed by Cambridge’s Scott Thorman, finished 31-37. Ontario Terriers grad Mattingly Romanin doubled, tripled and knocked in five runs in 33 games at Bluefield, while Dean Bell, son of Jays MVP winner George Bell, doubled, tripled and had two RBIs in 17 games.

Scout and about

One scout’s observation on the Jays: “Those guys at the top of the order are going to get their hits, but you have to get Ryan Goins, Kevin Pillar and Ben Revere out. I like Toronto’s offence better than the Yankees. New York’s bullpen is better. I might worry about Osuna and Sanchez being so young and unproven pitching late into September and October.” ... Jays scouting director Brian Parker gave amateur scouts one-year contract extensions last month. Usually contracts were addressed late in the fall in past years. One scout suggested the early decision was to make sure no one resigned and went elsewhere as has happened in previous Octobers.