With opener looming, Jays are hungry and ready to play, Montoyo says
After a few days of silence from the Toronto Blue Jays as their summer training camp began, manager Charlie Montoyo shed light Wednesday on the workout sessions and preparations for the 60-game regular season.
Montoyo said the players arrived in great physical condition, but his biggest challenge will be getting them in “baseball shape” ahead of the July 24 opener at Tampa Bay. An intrasquad game is planned for tonight at Rogers Centre.
“We have a young team and they’re hungry to play and they’re ready to go,” Montoyo said. “Everybody looks really good and I’m proud to tell you that. I’m really happy about that.”
Hitters started taking live batting practice Tuesday as they try to build up at-bats in the shortened timeframe. Montoyo said there’s a heightened emphasis on individual work as the team determines who will make the 30-man cut for Opening Day.
Montoyo said about 46 players are on hand at Rogers Centre and about 12 others are working out at the team’s spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida.
Most players arrived in Toronto via charter flight on Sunday. The team has said a second charter is expected to fly to the Ontario capital this week.
The Blue Jays have yet to comment on reports that several players and staffers recently tested positive for COVID-19.
According to reports, the latest case involved a single player in Florida. The positive result forced 12 players to remain in Dunedin, according to USA Today. Players must be cleared with two negative COVID-19 tests to join training.
Montoyo sounded excited on the half-hour conference call with reporters, who have not been allowed into Rogers Centre this week. Stadium entry was scheduled to begin today, but access for reporters will be limited.
Montoyo said he laid out a message to his team at the start of camp. “There’s going to be two types of teams,” he said. “There’s going to be the team that’s going to work together, follow the guidelines, stay healthy, and that’s going to help you win more games. And then there’s going to be the teams that are not going to follow the guidelines, complain about everything, lose focus and not have a good year.
“So they know that and our guys are focused. They’re ready to play and they’re following the guidelines. They’re really happy to be in Toronto and we’re ready to go.”
The Blue Jays’ first home game is scheduled for July 29 against the Washington Nationals, but a decision on whether Rogers Centre can be used for the regular season has not been made.
The team has expressed its desire to play in Toronto but as was required for training camp, approval would be needed from government and health authorities. Word is expected soon, but there is no firm timeline in place.
As Major League Baseball’s lone Canadian team, the Blue Jays face an additional hurdle because of border and quarantine rules during the pandemic. During training camp, players and team staff are isolating in a closed environment at the stadium and hotel attached to the venue.
If Rogers Centre is ruled out for games, the team has said it would likely shift focus to Dunedin. However, that has become an increasingly undesirable option given the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Florida.