Reyes prepares for more turf aggravation
But Blue Jays shortstop is healthy entering his 13th big- league season
The Toronto Blue Jays hope to have grass growing in the Rogers Centre by opening day 2018. That may be too late for Jose Reyes.
The 31- year- old shortstop has been a sprightly sight this spring, running the bases “like crazy,” as he likes to say, and showing a touch more range on defence. But he has been playing daily on real grass.
When the season starts at the Rogers Centre, his 13th season, so do his post- game ice baths.
“Like a football player,” he said. “They put ice in the ( cold tub) and you get in there. It’s real cold, but after that you feel very good.”
Until you play another game or two on the hometown turf.
Reyes has a contract through 2017 that will pay him $ 22 million US a year. The Jays have an option for 2018 at another $ 22 million, an eventuality that seems unlikely, given the team’s fabled payroll parameters, Reyes’s age and the wear and tear on his body.
He suffered a hamstring pull at the end of spring training last year — while playing on natural grass — and the injury nagged at him all season. He still played in 143 games, stole 30 bases and batted .287 with a .726 OPS and 3.1 WAR.
But playing with the New York Mets through 2011, he led the league in triples four times and stole more than 50 bases four times. He acknowledges that age and injuries have slowed him down, but playing on turf doesn’t help, he says.
Especially last season, when he says he could never justify taking a day off, despite the soreness that dogged him from wire to wire. He never hurt quite enough to rest, he says, and he was proud that he stayed on the field all season.
“But it’s hard when you’re a speed guy and you have sore legs,” he said. “I feel like something was holding me back. I want to do some stuff, but at the same time you feel like if you try to run like crazy, you know something’s going to blow up. Last year I felt that way the whole time, like if I run like crazy my hamstring was going to blow up.”
He stresses that he is not blaming the artificial turf for all of his pains. And plenty of position players take regular turns in the cold tub, he said.
“We need to understand that’s our home and we need to find a way to stay healthy and play there,” he said.
Running and extended periods of standing on a playing surface that lacks the resilience of natural turf can aggravate minor injuries that are endemic among baseball players over a long season. Back tightness is a common effect.
For Reyes, it is frustrating. He knows fans mutter about his declining range at short. He knows they expect more triples and stolen bases. He does too.
“It is hard, man, because you feel like you don’t play your game,” he said. “You feel like something’s missing. I’m the guy who likes to play my game, I like to play hard every single day, running like crazy. When I’m not able to do that, it’s not Jose Reyes. It’s somebody else playing.”
Reyes says he feels fully recovered from last year’s woes. Manager John Gibbons, however, has vowed to give him more days off to help keep his body fresh.
Reyes understands the concept. He also expects to put up a stiff argument when he sees his name is not on the lineup card.
“Do I want more time off? No,” he said. “You know, the season hasn’t started yet, so we’ll see how the year plays out. If one day my body feels a little bit tired and I feel like I need a day off, we’ll discuss that.”