Donaldson ditches the flap
at the pitcher,” Donaldson said. “I tried to make some adjustments on it. It really wasn’t working as far as moving the flap down. So I was just like, ‘To heck with it. I’m just going to get my other helmet and go from there.’
“Some pitchers who were throwing kind of across their body that’s outside the normal lane that you have to look in,” explained Donaldson, when asked to elaborate on what pitches he was missing. “It was making it difficult for me because I feel was having to almost look around it at times.”
Give him credit. Donaldson obviously felt too many pitches were coming towards his head that he decided to wear a flap. But his drive to produce at the plate and help the team has overridden safety concerns.
Donaldson also made some great defensive plays this week at Guaranteed Rate Field, including a couple of bare-handed snares followed by hard throws to first for outs, another part of his game he’s been working to improve. Following last month’s allstar break, the Jays embarked on a 10day road trip before finally returning home on July 24.
“I was able to put in some work when we got back to Toronto,” said Donaldson. “We went on a 10-day road trip and it’s difficult to get appropriate work that we need because we’re on the road and it’s not our field. That being said, I felt that getting some extra work, some early work out there and really focusing on the defence really helped.
“And (Justin) Smoak made an excellent pick for me on the other end of it (first base). There’s been a few times this year — probably four (or) five times actually — where I made a nice play and either tried to make a play out of something that I shouldn’t have or just made a bad throw, and right now I’m just doing pretty decent making good throws and it helps when you don’t make a good throw Smoak is able pick me up.”
Smoak is one of the better fielding first basemen in baseball on top of the career season he’s having at the plate.
The way he’s swinging the bat right now, Donaldson was one of the few Jays who probably would have preferred a game on Thursday rather than a day off before Toronto opens a three-game series in Houston.
The Jays just played 20 games in a row and they appear to be a tired team. Manager John Gibbons said they are.
“Yeah, it’s been a lot of games in a row (but) I don’t know how much we need (a day off ),” Donaldson said. “I’m guessing if Gibby thinks we need it, then we probably need one. But I feel pretty good personally and looking forward to starting the series in Houston.”