Jays notes: Tellez eager to build on what he learned last year

The 2017 minor-league season had some ups and a few more downs for 22-year-old first baseman Rowdy Tellez.

After ending last spring with a game-winning homer in Montreal at Olympic Stadium, Tellez smacked two home runs on opening day at Triple-A Buffalo. But it was never as good after that. He hit .222 for the Bisons, with six homers and an OPS of .628. The Jays kept the faith and never sent him to a lower level. And Tellez, now ranked as the organization’s 11th best prospect, again has an invitation to major-league camp.

“I learned a lot last year, just how to handle things, how to handle failures,” Tellez said. “I was fortunate the Blue Jays let me do that at a high level. I’ll always be grateful for that, but I’m just going to go into this spring training and get ready for the season and go in and be the best player and the best teammate that I can be.”

There is a comfort level at majorleague camp for the young Sacra- mento native. He is surrounded by 23 players that spent some time with him in Buffalo.

“We always have a good group of guys, and not much has changed,” Tellez said. “A couple of new faces, but the Blue Jays do well in making everybody feel like they’re at home. They do that for everybody.”

LIVE HITTER: Aaron Sanchez was on Field 3 at the Mattick complex, about to throw his first pitch to a live hitter since last Jul, when catcher Russ Martin glanced up at Kendrys Morales and smiled. “He’s a little wild today,” Martin said. That quip, combined with Sanchez’s impressive mound session of about 50 pitches, made for a great day for the righthander the Jays are counting on to pitch near the top of their rotation.

“Just more excitement for me,” Sanchez said. “It’s still our team, but just being able to be out there and compete. I think that’s what I miss the most is competing every five days and going out there and doing that.

“Even though it is our team and even though we’re in the very early stages of where I need to be, there’s definitely a lot of excitement. Five or six days from now, whenever I’m throwing, I’ll be in a normal game.”

FOUL MOOD: Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker was standing behind the batting cage as lefty Tim Mayza delivered a pitch in live hitting. A foul ball went straight back to the screen and struck Walker in the right forearm. He buckled, then stood up again, with help from others around him. Then he briefly lost consciousness and was gently laid back on the grass as trainers came running.

After being treated, including having ice rubbed on his neck by a concerned Martin, Walker was able to leave the field on his feet to an ovation from the worried crowd of fans. He left in a golf cart and was taken to hospital but seemed fine.

“It was a scary moment,” manager John Gibbons said. “He ended up passing out, but he came to and seemed normal.” Richard Griffin