BAUTISTA PUTS HIS RETURN ON HOLD OVER WONKY BACK
Jays slugger asks manager Gibbons for another day of rest,
When the lineup card was first posted in the Toronto Blue Jays clubhouse on Wednesday morning, Jose Bautista’s named was pencilled in to hit cleanup, right after Josh Donaldson.
And as such, it was as optimistic a beginning to a day as we’ve seen so far this spring.
All it took for that to change was Bautista running into manager John Gibbons and suggesting Friday might be a better day for his post World Baseball Classic return in blue. Oh, and why not give that back an extra couple deals to heal.
Welcome to the 2017 Blue Jays, where the high potential for success is matched by the worrisome potential fragility.
For the record, Bautista claimed that the stiff lower back that kept him out of the Dominican Republic’s last game of the WBC is not a concern, though that tune will change if it lingers.
“I think we’re comfortable with the group we have, we just have to stay healthy and play hard and play together,” Bautista said of a Jays roster that still has some holes a dozen days before the season starts. “Hopefully, (we) will continue to do what we’ve done in the last two seasons, which is play good in the season and get to the playoffs.”
Assuming all is well with the back, Bautista will be in the lineup on Friday when the Jays face the Boston Red Sox here.
There was, however, some progress made on Wednesday. Donaldson played third base for the first time this spring, moving fine for the four innings (and two hitless plate appearances) he was in the lineup.
Though Donaldson didn’t have to do much other than field a routine ground ball to third, the fact he felt comfortable was significant.
“It definitely helps knowing that going into the season my body’s going to be feeling good,” Donaldson said. “That’s all you can ask for coming out of spring training. I know a lot of guys in this clubhouse right now are ready to go.”
Good thing, too, considering as Gibbons said earlier in the day, “we’re running out of time down here.” One player who could be touch and go down here, despite the rapid progress he’s made, is second baseman Devon Travis. Recovering from a knee injury, Travis played in the field in a minor-league test on Wednesday and is hoping to be at second with the big team on Friday.
“He’s a huge part of this team,” Gibbons said of Travis, who is scheduled to go five innings vs. the Red Sox. “If this team is going to be at it’s best, we need him out there. We’ll see where it goes, if he’s ready or not of if he’s had enough at-bats.
“We don’t want to rush the kid and have any setbacks. If it costs us a couple extra weeks, so be it.”
Bautista, meanwhile, feels ready to continue the strong spring he was having before exiting for the WBC and to carry it into the regular season.
“I’m feeling pretty good,” the veteran slugger said. “I got off to a good start in the spring, was seeing the ball well and feeling good at the plate so hopefully, that carries on.
“I have no complaints. I’m just excited to be back in the swing of things with the guys and looking forward to getting ready for the season.”
CONGRATULATIONS IN ORDER?
It was a sheepish Gibbons who was left to talk about a contract extension that is apparently done, but not yet officially announced by the team.
The Jays manager playfully wasn’t willing to confirm it, but talked at length about what it will mean to stay with the team for another two and potentially three seasons.
“It’s always a nice reward,” Gibbons said. “I wasn’t obsessed with it. This organization has been great to me over the years and you never know how long these jobs last anyways.
“Really, coming into last year with the new regime, I didn’t know what to expect. It turned out to be a really good working relationship and I’m glad to still be here. This has been my whole major league career up in Toronto.
“I’m very happy and very excited.”
ON THE MARCO
Jays starter Marco Estrada was more pleased with his outing on Wednesday at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium (a 5-4 win over the Tigers) than he was with his previous effort in Clearwater last week against the Phillies.
The reason? Estrada felt he pitched with more aggression and confidence as he allowed just two hits (for one run) over five innings.
“I’m really close,” said Estrada, who threw 72 pitches as he moves closer to a normal workload. “Night and day from my last one when I was fighting myself mentally. (On Wednesday), I didn’t think about anything and just tried to do my thing. Mentally and physically I feel great. I just need that repetition.”
I think we’re comfortable with the group we have, we just have to stay healthy and play hard and play together.
OUT IN LEFT FIELD ...
A back strain to Bautista that the Jays hope doesn’t turn into a nagging ailment isn’t the only concern in the outfield. Gibbons confirmed Wednesday that Melvin Upton Jr. has been advised to rest his sore right shoulder while Ezequiel Carrera is still out with a bruised thigh suffered in a collision with Darwin Barney on Monday.
So who is your starting left fielder? Steve Pearce remains a possibility, albeit a long shot at this point. Recuperating nicely from off-season arm surgery, he will get his first start in left on Saturday in a split-squad game against the Canadian junior national team.
“It’s not ideal,” Gibbons said. “We don’t want those things to linger. That wouldn’t be good. But there’s no panic yet.”