Leading question dogs Bautista
Slugger’s return helps but hitting lower makes more sense
The Blue Jays finally have Jose Bautista back in the lineup after 15 days on the injury list with a sprained left knee.
Perhaps the addition of Bautista is just as important for his presence, and the perception of the Blue Jays being whole again, as for what he may be able to contribute right away. But the Jays need him in a lineup that did not match up with the AL’s best, and Bautista needs the Jays because — as we are all aware — he’s headed towards free agency, now with a sketchy final season to show.
“It’s a little sore and stiff, but I think that’s normal,” Bautista said of his wounded knee before going 1-for-4 with a pair of RBIs in a 6-3 loss to the Angels. “If I can be here and contribute, that’s better than being down there and wanting to come back at 100 per cent rather than 90, 95 per cent, whatever it might be. It changes from day to day, but I can play a major-league game and hopefully make some impact.”
Bautista has made his greatest impact this season as the leadoff man. Recall that the Jays were slumping back in May, scoring just 83 runs in the previous 22 games and struggling under .500. It was a committee of players that went to manager John Gibbons and suggested that Bautista be inserted in the leadoff spot, replacing the failed experiments with Kevin Pillar and Michael Saunders.
Bautista hit first for 29 games and the Jays took flight. He was back in that leadoff role on Thursday against the Angels, with Devon Travis sitting out for a third straight game while waiting for the cortisone treatment to kick in with his damaged right knuckle. But that should not be Bautista’s role, given the current situation and with Travis having taken to leadoff quite nicely.
“I talked to him (Wednesday) night — he came in,” Gibbons said. “He says he feels fine to play the outfield.
“But we’ll give him plenty of time at DH just to guard that thing a little bit. I think it would be smart. He’s a feared hitter in this league and everybody knows where he is in the lineup, when he’s coming up, when he’s sitting on deck. Everybody’s aware of that. He can burn you with the best of them. Then he’ll take his walks. He’s disciplined, so he might get on base for those other guys. That’s a weapon. He says he feels real good.”
Listening to Bautista talk about his physical status, it seems even he knows that he won’t be running the bases with reckless abandon — going first to third or second to home, or reading balls in the dirt and moving up. As such, would he go to the manager and suggest batting a little deeper in the order — like in the three-hole, where he has been 41 times, or even cleanup with Edwin Encarnacion ahead of him? Encarnacion is not a fast runner, but he is a smart runner.
“I don’t think I’m in a position to be demanding or telling anybody what to do,” Bautista said when asked if he would have input this time. “The team is playing great and the last thing I want to be is a disruption. I just want to continue to heal in whatever way I can, and hopefully we can get to the playoffs and try and get that championship that we missed out on last year.”
Gibbons seemed to be debating having Travis bat first or second when he returns on Friday. He will likely make a decision on Bautista in the other spot. But is that best for the team and for Bautista?
The Jays’ offence hasn’t exactly been clicking on all cylinders lately. They scored 83 runs in 22 games before the Bautista-to-leadoff move, and they scored just 89 runs in the last 22 games before the return of Bautista on Thursday night. The first week of that was with Travis and Bautista hitting 1-2.
“I don’t see it being an issue today, Devon’s not playing,” Bautista said. “We want to have the best nine out there, and obviously Devon’s done a great job at leadoff. Again, this is Gibby’s team. He’s the manager. We’re not going to try to undermine him. Myself and the group made that suggestion because we were going through a two-week, threeweek rut. We couldn’t get anything going. We just wanted to switch it up. It’s not that we felt the lineup wasn’t constructed the right way. It’s just that it wasn’t working out.
“We wanted to shake it up and it ended up working out. I guess the same way now. He’s got to go with hot hands and whatever’s working. Wherever I hit, I’m sure I’ll be fine — as long as we keep getting wins.”
There is no wrong in this situation, just better. The optimum lineup from this corner, starting Friday night with the Twins in town, would have: Travis, Josh Donaldson, Encarnacion, Bautista, Russ Martin, Troy Tulowitzki, Michael Saunders, Kevin Pillar and Melvin Upton Jr.
Now, about this six-man rotation ...