The Blue Jays announced this afternoon they’ve selected infielder Vinny Capra. Right-hander Bowden Francis was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to create active roster space. Toronto already had a 40-man roster vacancy after placing Cavan Biggio on the COVID-19 injured list earlier in the week.
Capra, 25, gets a big league call for the first time. The 5’8″, 175 pound infielder was a 20th round pick in 2018 out of the University of Richmond. Despite lacking draft pedigree, the right-handed hitter climbed to the high minors by 2021 and had an impressive showing. In 282 plate appearances with Double-A New Hampshire, Capra hit .327/.396/.548 with ten home runs. That was inflated by a .428 batting average on balls in play that masked a 26.2% strikeout rate, but he’d made contact at a higher clip in previous seasons.
That solid Double-A showing earned him a five-game cameo in Triple-A late last year. Capra didn’t collect a hit, but he’s off to a nice start with Buffalo this season. Over 77 plate appearances, he’s hitting .304/.377/.478 with three homers. He has only fanned in 10.4% of his trips to the dish, earning him a spot on the MLB bench. Capra has a fair bit of minor league experience at each of second base, third base and shortstop, with brief stints in both left and center field.
