Springer will make his debut Tuesday
George Springer is set to make his Blue Jays’ spring training debut on Tuesday afternoon against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Manager Charlie Montoyo made the announcement following his team’s 6-4 win over the New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon in the opener of the Grapefruit League season. Rowdy Tellez went 2-for-2 with a double, while prospect Logan Warmoth homered in the victory.
Springer will make his first start at designated hitter just to get some at-bats. The reps in centre field likely will begin later in the week as he eases into regular playing time. The 31year-old signed a franchise record six-year contract worth $150 million (U.S.) this off-season.
“He’s a routine kind of guy,” Montoyo said late last week in reference to Springer’s schedule. “He’s always had a routine where he likes to take a lot of live batting practice before he plays in the games, and that’s how we are going to approach it in spring training.”
Springer is a lifetime .270 hitter with 174 home runs, 458 RBIs and an .899 OPS in 795 games. á Back in blue: The Jays have once again acquired left-handed reliever Travis Bergen, this time in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks. This marks Bergen’s third stint with the organization since he was drafted by the Jays in the seventh round in 2015.
Prior to the 2019 season, Bergen was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the annual Rule 5 draft. He was later returned to the Jays, then sent to Arizona a year later as part of the mid-season trade for veteran left-hander Robbie Ray. The Jays are sending cash considerations to the Diamondbacks to complete the latest transaction. á New look: Recently signed infielder Marcus Semien began his full-time transition from shortstop to second base in Sunday’s game against the Yankees and enjoyed a relatively uneventful day in the field.
Semien made a pair of routine plays in three innings at second base before he was eventually lifted for a pinch runner in the fourth. The 2019 finalist for the AL MVP award finished 1-for-2 with a single and a walk before coming out of the game.