Jays activate Wilkerson, recall Marcum, Richmond

Toronto Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston will have more lineup options over the final 26 regular-season games.

Outfielder Brad Wilkerson was activated from the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, while Blue Jays management recalled five others from triple-A Syracuse: pitchers Shaun Marcum, Scott Richmond and Brian Wolfe, outfielder Kevin Mench and catcher Curtis Thigpen.

Wilkerson injured his left shoulder diving for a ball late in August and batted .455 with one home run in three games with Class A Dunedin.

He is hitting .219 in 93 games with Toronto, which signed Wilkerson on May 9 following his release from Seattle.

Marcum sports a 8-6 record and 3.60 earned-run average in 22 starts this season, but was sent to Syracuse Aug. 23 after going 3-2 with a 6.19 ERA in seven starts since coming off the DL July 22.

Mench has appeared in 42 games with the Blue Jays in 2008, batting .253 with nine RBI. He was optioned to Syracuse Aug. 25.

Richmond went 0-2 with a 5.06 ERA in three starts for Toronto earlier this season before being optioned to Syracuse on Aug. 15.

He made a strong case for a promotion, turning in a pair of strong starts before struggling in his most recent outing in which he allowed six runs (all earned) on eight hits in four innings of a 9-1 loss to Lehigh Valley. Richmond also walked four.

Thigpen appeared in four games for Toronto in May and June, going 1-for-6.

Wolfe went 0-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 17 games this season, but also missed 45 games with a right triceps injury.