LAST-CHANCE ENCOUNTER?

Dalton Pompey is out of options, which means he could soon be out of opportunities with the Jays,

DUNEDIN, FLA.— There is no sugar-coating the position Dalton Pompey finds himself in this spring. The 26-year-old Mississauga-born outfielder is out of options heading into the 2019 season, and nearly out of chances with the Toronto Blue Jays.

“It’s pretty black or white, the writing’s really on the wall,” Pompey said Saturday. “It’s either I make the team or I don’t.”

General manager Ross Atkins knows it, too.

“I wish he certainly did have an option but, in some ways, it’s good for him to now find out, ‘OK, is this going to work at the major-league level or am I going to be doing it with someone else?’ ” Atkins said earlier this week.

It’s been a tough few years for Pompey since he debuted in September 2014 and contributed to the Jays’ post-season run the following fall.

He has had turf toe, a bone bruise on his heel, a sprained knee, concussions, a bone bruise to his knee, a wrist injury, a torn ligament in his left thumb, a tight back and a suspension for violating team policy in Buffalo last August following an altercation with Bisons manager Bobby Meacham. He played just 57 games last season, most of them in Triple-A in what he had hoped would be a comeback year.

Pompey says there is little dif- ference now from the youngster who delighted Toronto fans nearly four years ago, a five-tool player and switch-hitter who attacked the game with speed and aggression. He slashed .272/.352/.418 with five home runs, 23 RBIs, 12 doubles and 11 stolen bases last year.

“I can’t go back and change anything,” he said. “Injuries are what they are and I can’t take those away but I’m still the same player, it’s just sometimes you just get lost in the shuffle.”

There were times in 2018 when Pompey says he didn’t play to his ability, for fear of getting hurt, such as when he slid hard into third base to cause that thumb injury. He stopped being as aggressive because he wanted to stay on the field.

That won’t fly this spring. Pompey needs to play without hesitation to make the best impression. “The way I play, there’s a chance I could get hurt,” he said. “The position I’m in now, I just have to leave it all out there and just go from there.”

With a new manager in Charlie Montoyo and a handful of new big-league coaches, Pompey feels like he is working with a clean slate. Montoyo is pleased with the outfielder’s attitude in the clubhouse.

“I just saw him from the other side. I’ve seen all the tools and stuff so I want to see that, I want to see that guy,” Montoyo said. “He could be a pleasant surprise. Who knows?”

With Kevin Pillar, Randal Grichuk and Teoscar Hernandez likely guaranteed spots on the 25-man roster, there will probably only be room for one more outfielder. Pompey is fighting Billy McKinney, Dwight Smith Jr. and Anthony Alford, among others, for that spot.

Atkins said the team has some time before it makes a decision on Pompey’s future, and believes “a lot could happen in the way of performance.” But Pompey is also taking up a valuable spot on the Jays’ 40-man roster and Toronto could find itself at a crossroads if it adds pitching depth, as Atkins hopes to do.

Pompey started in right field in Saturday ’s Grapefruit League opener, a 4-0 loss against the Detroit Tigers. He went 0-for-2 at the plate, but showed his speed when he chased down a liner by left fielder Christin Stewart in the fourth inning.

“If I make the team, then great. Obviously I grew up outside of Toronto, that would be amazing,” Pompey said. “If not, then I can move on and at least look myself in the mirror and say I did everything I could. Hopefully that was enough to inspire another team to take a chance on me.”