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(Sports Network) - Greg Smith makes his major league debut tonight when the Oakland Athletics play the middle contest of their three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

Justin Duchscherer was originally slated to take the hill tonight, but the 30- year-old right-hander was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday with a right biceps strain.

So, tonight it will be the 24-year-old Smith, who was acquired by the A's from Arizona as part of the Dan Haren deal this past winter. Last season, the left- handed Smith combined to go 9-5 with a 3.54 ERA in 22 games with Double-A Mobile and Triple-A Tucson in Arizona's organization.

Smith also struggled against right-handed hitters a year ago, surrendering nine of his 11 home runs and allowing them to hit at a .297 clip. That is particularly bad news since Toronto's lineup is predominantly right-handed.

The Blue Jays will counter with right-hander Dustin McGowan, who was impressive in his season debut against the New York Yankees on Thursday, but walked away with a no-decision. McGowan gave up a pair of runs and four hits in six innings of his team's 3-2 loss.

McGowan is 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA in five career outings against the Athletics.

In the opener of this set on Tuesday, Ryan Sweeney went 2-for-5 with the game- winning RBI triple, lifting Oakland to a 9-8 win. Kurt Suzuki finished 3- for-5, had an RBI and scored the go-ahead run for the A's, who have won three of four overall.

Chad Gaudin, activated from the DL prior to the game, surrendered six runs -- five earned -- on eight hits in four innings on the hill in his 2008 debut. Alan Embree (1-1) gave up two runs on three hits in the eighth, but still got the win.

Aaron Hill went 4-for-4 with a two-run home run, while Vernon Wells homered, had three RBI and scored twice for Toronto, which saw its three-game win streak halted.

A.J. Burnett went 4 2/3 innings, but yielded six runs on 10 hits. Jeremy Accardo (0-1) got the loss after giving up a run on two hits in the ninth.

Oakland won five of its nine meetings with the Blue Jays last season and has won five in a row in Toronto, where it won all three matchups a year ago.