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Jays load up on arms

The Toronto Blue Jays continued to load up on pitching in Day 2 of Major League Baseball’s amateur draft.

NEW YORK — The Toronto Blue Jays continued to load up on pitching in Day 2 of Major League Baseball’s amateur draft.

Toronto selected 16 pitchers Tuesday, including Canadian Tom Robson, in addition to the three the Jays chose in the first day of the draft.

Robson, a left-hander from Ladner, B.C., was projected as the highest Canadian prospect before the draft.

The six-foot-four, 210-pound prospect was Toronto’s ninth pick, taken 139th overall in the fourth round of the three-day draft.

The Jays also added some Canadian talent to their infield, drafting shortstop Justin Atkinson 799th out of North Surrey Secondary School in B.C. Atkinson is originally from Toronto.

Toronto drafted eight infielders and one outfielder in the second day of drafting.

Meanwhile, the Cubs drafted the son of the Great One. Trevor Gretzky, the son of hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky, was selected in the seventh round by Chicago. The younger Gretzky knocks in runs — not goals — as a left-handed power-hitting California high school first baseman.

Robson and Atkinson weren’t the only Canadians selected Tuesday.

Catcher Dustin Houle of Penticton, B.C., was taken 251st by the Milwaukee Brewers, left-fielder Chase Larsson of Vancouver was taken 296th by the Atlanta Braves and right-hander Vaughn Covington, also from Vancouver, was taken 355th by the Cincinnati Reds.

Righty Adam Paulencu of Sherwood Park, Alta., was taken 417th by the San Francisco Giants, catcher Justin Marra of Toronto was taken 459th by the Chicago Cubs and shortstop Sean Jamieson of Simcoe, Ont., was taken 526th by the Oakland Athletics.

The Philadelphia Phillies took Montreal right-hander Jesen Dygestile-Therrien 541st. Righty Ethan Elias of Entwistle, Alta., was selected 669th overall by the Cubs and the Giants took third baseman Jonathan Jones of Lorraine, Que., 717th.

Right-handed pitcher Roberto Suppa of Connor, Ont., was taken by the San Diego Padres 803rd, third baseman Carter Bell of Courtenay, B.C., was taken 874th by the Arizona Diamondbacks, centre-fielder Dustin Hayes of Langley, B.C., was chosen 891st by the Chicago White Sox and lefty Jacob Hansen was selected 912th by the New York Mets.

The draft finishes today with rounds 31-50.