Donaldson out, Hernandez in
Toronto third baseman placed on 10-day DL with shoulder inflammation
The Teoscar Hernandez fever has been bubbling within the Blue Jays’ fan base since an impressive September debut last year and a strong showing in Florida this spring. But there’s an unfortunate flip side to his return to the big leagues.
The 25-year-old will take Josh Donaldson’s place on the Blue Jays roster, after the 2015 AL MVP was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Friday with right shoulder inflammation. The move is retroactive to April 11. The earliest he could return would be during next weekend’s series at the New York Yankees.
The third baseman has struggled with what he called a “dead arm” since spring training. Donaldson spent five of his 11 games this season as Toronto’s designated hitter in order to give his arm a rest. He did not play in the final game of the Blue Jays’ last series against Baltimore. Prior to being sidelined, Donaldson was hitting .239/.352/.457 , with an .808 OPS, three home runs and nine RBI.
Donaldson was sent for additional imaging procedures this week, which found no structural damage or instability. He will rehab in Florida, working on a throwing program at the club’s minor-league complex. It is not clear how long Donaldson might be sidelined.
Donaldson is the second Jay to hit the disabled list this week, after designated hitter Kendrys Morales was sidelined on Tuesday with a grade one strain in his right hamstring.
Many Blue Jays fans on social media had expressed hope that Hernandez would be the player called up in Morales’ place, but the club opted to add left-handed reliever Tim Mayza to the 25-man roster.
Speaking to the Star in Buffalo on Thursday, on a day when he hit his second home run of the season for the Triple-A Bisons, Hernandez said he was aware of, and thankful for, the support up north.
“It makes me feel good,” he said. “A lot of people are asking for me up there, but the time is today. I’ve just got to try to continue to do my thing here, try to improve things that I have to improve and get better and get there.”
Now that he is there, expect Hernandez to try to soak up everything he can from the vet- erans around him. Hernandez counts his month in the big leagues last fall — when he hit .261 with nine homers and 20 RBI in 26 games as a September call-up — as a vital part of his success early this year.
“When you’re getting experience, you’re getting more confidence on the field,” he said. “Every day you learn something new from veteran guys. I think that was the key for me last year. I learned a lot from (Jose) Bautista, Donaldson, Morales. Those guys were always telling me something new every day; how to play the game, how to get focused every day and get ready. I think that was the key to last year and this spring.”
In Florida, Hernandez picked up where he left off last year. He slashed .358/.386/.698 with an 1.084 OPS in 23 Grapefruit League games, hitting four home runs and driving in 15. He travelled with the team to Montreal for two exhibition games against St. Louis before being sent to the Bisons to start the year. In a small sample size of 18 at-bats in Triple A, Hernandez hit .278 with the pair of homers.
“(The front office) said, ‘Everybody knows they don’t have space,’ ” Hernandez said Thursday of being a late cut. “They have a lot of guys under contract and I understand that. I’m not mad about that. I’m just going to try to do better, to improve my things, improve my skills and just try to get better every day.”
John Gibbons has already seen an improvement in the native of the Dominican Republic, who started in left field and batted second in the lineup for Toronto in the first of three games against Cleveland.
“I think the guy’s going to be a good major-league player,” Gibbons told SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio on Friday before the roster move was announced. “We saw that last year and in spring training I thought he was a better player. He has learned how to hit, he’s learning the strike zone better. I’m a huge fan.”
“I think the guy’s going to be a good major-league player … I’m a huge fan.” JOHN GIBBONS JAYS MANAGER