By: Matt Rappa, managing editor 
DUNEDIN, Fla. — Seeking redemption after a 5-3 defeat in Tuesday afternoon's Grapefruit League opener at Bright House Field, the Philadelphia Phillies head north to Florida Auto Exchange Stadium for a rematch against the 2015 American League East division champions, the Toronto Blue Jays.
Phillies' prospects Roman Quinn and J.P. Crawford will be starting for the first time in a Grapefruit League game this afternoon, batting first and second respectively at the center field and shortstop positions. Two players acquired from the Houston Astros on Dec. 12, right-hander Vincent Velasquez and southpaw Brett Oberholtzer, are also both expected to make their Phillies debuts in relief of starter David Buchanan.
In just their third exhibition game of the season, the Phillies will be faced with the task of batting against a knuckleballer — right-handed veteran R.A. Dickey, who underwent surgery this offseason to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. Outfielder Domonic Brown, who is a non-roster invitee of the Blue Jays, will face his former club for the first time as he starts in right field, batting in the sixth position.
Starting Pitching Matchup:
| Philadelphia Phillies (0-1) | Toronto Blue Jays (1-0) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHP | David Buchanan | RHP | R.A. Dickey | ||
| (2015: 2-9, 6.99 ERA) | (2015: 11-11, 3.91 ERA) | ||||
Buchanan, 26, is on the outside looking in as far as landing a role in the starting rotation for the 2016 season. Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com describes the right-hander as a "rotation long shot."
Receiving 35 starts over the past two seasons, the former seventh round draft selection in the 2010 amateur draft is (6-8) with a 4.66 ERA at home in 19 starts and (2-9) with a 5.42 ERA away, spanning 16 outings.
Last season, the Phillies lost each of Buchanan's six road starts, having been outscored 44-18. His only two wins of the season came in consecutive home starts in late July, a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on July 20 and a 9-3 win over the division-rival Atlanta Braves on July 31.
Dickey, 41, begins his 14th season on the mound, and the fourth as a member of the Blue Jays since the Dec. 17, 2012, trade involving former Phillies catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud and right-hander Noah Syndergaard being dealt to the New York Mets.
The veteran right-hander finished last season with an 8-1 record, 2.88 ERA and a complete game to his credit over his 14 starts. In the fourth game of the American League Championship Series on Oct. 20, Dickey fell to the eventual World Series champions Kansas City Royals, allowing five runs (four earned) in just 1 2/3 innings of work.
On Nov. 3, the Blue Jays exercised Dickey's $12 million club option for 2016, despite having the option to buy him out through a $1 million club option, according to Shi Davidi. While Dickey received trade interest this offseason, the Blue Jays opted to keep the right-hander as middle-of-the-rotation arm around right-handers Marcus Stroman, Marco Estrada, Aaron Sanchez and former Phillies southpaw J.A. Happ. Right-handers Jesse Chavez, Drew Hutchinson and former 2014 Phillie Roberto Hernandez are also Blue Jays rotation candidates competing for a spot this spring training.
Both Sanchez, Chavez and right-hander David Aardsma are expected to take the mound this afternoon for Toronto.
Starting Lineups:
| Philadelphia Phillies (0-1) | Toronto Blue Jays (1-0) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Bats | Position | Player | Bats | ||
| 1 | CF | Roman Quinn | S | 1 | CF | Kevin Pillar | R |
| 2 | SS | J.P. Crawford | L | 2 | 3B | Josh Donaldson | R |
| 3 | 3B | Maikel Franco | R | 3 | DH | Russell Martin | R |
| 4 | 1B | Darin Ruf | R | 4 | LF | Michael Saunders | L |
| 5 | LF | David Lough | L | 5 | 2B | Ryan Goins | L |
| 6 | RF | Aaron Altherr | R | 6 | RF | Domonic Brown | L |
| 7 | C | Cameron Rupp | R | 7 | 1B | Casey Kotchman | L |
| 8 | DH | Darnell Sweeney | S | 8 | SS | Jio Mier | R |
| 9 | 2B | Cesar Hernandez | S | 9 | C | Josh Thole | L |
Broadcast Information:
- First pitch: 1:07 p.m.
- TV: N/A
- Radio: MLB.com
Game Notes:
- Scheduled to enter in relief: RHP Vincent Velasquez, LHP Brett Oberholtzer, RHP Reinier Roibal (NRI) and RHP Jeanmar Gomez. Velasquez, 23, and Oberholtzer, 26, acquired in the Dec. 12 Ken Giles trade, are both candidates to earn the final spot in the starting rotation.
- Buchanan impressed last spring, allowing just three earned runs and striking out 15 batters in 21 innings to post a (3-0) record and a 1.29 ERA. A similar showing this year could earn him a spot on the Phillies' 25-man roster out of spring training. Anything less, however, could land the right-hander back at Triple-A Lehigh Valley where he started in 10 games last season when not with the big-league club.
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Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista, designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki all have the day off. Last season, these three players combined to hit 96 home runs with 295 runs-batted-in over a total of 427 games.
Player to Watch: J.P. Arencibia
First #Phillies home run of the spring, courtesy of @jparencibia9! pic.twitter.com/tXWtmRWGDD
— Phillies (@Phillies) March 1, 2016
Arencibia was drafted 21st overall in the 2007 amateur draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, a team he played for from 2010 to 2013. Monday afternoon, the 30-year-old backstop went 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored. Arencibia is out of today's lineup, with Cameron Rupp starting and batting seventh.
What's Next:
- Thursday, March 3, 2016:
- vs. Houston Astros, 1:05 p.m.
- Clearwater – Bright House Field
- RHP Doug Fister (2015: 5-7, 4.19 ERA) vs. RHP Jake Thompson (2015, Double-A: 11-7, 3.73 ERA)
- TV: TCN, MLBN, MLB.TV; Radio: N/A
- at New York Yankees, 1:05 p.m.
- Tampa - George M. Steinbrenner Field
- LHP Adam Morgan (2015: 5-7, 4.48 ERA) vs. RHP Ivan Nova (2015: 6-11, 5.07 ERA)
- TV: N/A; Radio: N/A
- Friday, March 4, 2016: vs. Atlanta Braves, 1:05 p.m.
- Clearwater – Bright House Field
- RHP Lucas Sims (2015, Double-A: 4-2, 3.21 ERA) vs. TBA
- TV: TCN, MLB.TV; Radio: WFOM 1230, WIFN 1340
