DUNEDIN, Fla. — Steve Pearce is speeding through his throwing program as he recovers from off-season elbow surgery to repair tendons in his right arm. And, according to Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins, the multi-positional player could be available to play left field by opening day.
It appears Pearce has progressed quicker than the team expected, as Blue Jays manager John Gibbons has suggested throughout camp that the 33-year-old would likely begin the season at first base, splitting time with Justin Smoak until his arm was back up to full strength.
The Blue Jays’ stated plan for left field was to open the season with a platoon of Melvin Upton Jr. and Ezequiel Carrera, two players who both hit far better against left-handed pitching than right-handers last season. But Pearce’s availability to play the outfield could throw a wrench in that, as he’s believed to be the club’s preferred option in left.
“He’s been great. He’s responded really well,” Atkins said. “I think he’s really embraced a lot of the staff here. The high-performance staff; the medical staff. We’re really excited with his progress.”
The Blue Jays would certainly like to see Pearce play the outfield in Grapefruit League games before running him out there on opening day, and according to Atkins that may happen sooner rather than later.
“I would say certainly within two weeks and hopefully within one,” Atkins said. “It depends on his throwing program and how he’s feeling day to day.”
Pearce has been progressing through a carefully managed throwing program for most of camp, beginning at 45 feet and advancing 15 feet every three days. He’s up to 165 feet now and has more than two weeks to continue advancing.
“It’s getting there. It’s holding up. It’s a lot better than it was last year,” Pearce said of his arm earlier this week. “I’m definitely holding back. There’s no point in trying to rush anything. But, look, if we were in the playoffs right now, you can bet your butt I’m playing the outfield.”
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Travis and Donaldson get another game in
Devon Travis and Josh Donaldson each took at-bats in Blue Jays minor league games Thursday, facing live pitching for the second time this week. Neither player ran the bases, remaining in the batter’s box when they put a ball in play. Travis, recovering from a bone bruise in his right knee, hit a single, while Donaldson, getting over a strained right calf, hit a home run.
Donaldson is very far along in his recovery and says he would be playing without limitation if the regular season began today. It’s likely he’ll begin appearing in major league spring training games by next week at the latest.
“Everything now is days, not weeks, for him. He feels great,” Atkins said. “He’s moving around great. He’ll be running next. That will be the next threshold for him. We’re very optimistic that he’ll be in a game soon.”
Travis, on the other hand, has more question marks surrounding his rehab. The second baseman is being brought along very deliberately as he recovers from the bone bruise and off-season surgery on the same knee.
Gibbons has suggested Travis may begin the season on the disabled list to give him some extra time to reach full health, although Travis is adamant that his goal is to be ready to play for opening day. Atkins says it all remains to be seen.
“We’ll see. His timeline will be his, not based on opening day,” Atkins said. “We’ll let it be what’s best for him to be at his best for the season and not just for opening day. It would certainly be great if he was ready to go on opening day.”
MLB GMs will have a new option this season for injured players with the introduction of a 10-day disabled list. If the Blue Jays choose that route for Travis at the beginning of the season, they could backdate his DL stint to March 30. That would make Travis eligible to return by the club’s home opener on April 11 vs. Milwaukee.
“I think it’s a good thing,” Atkins said of the 10-day DL. “It depends on the situation and how you’re getting the most out of your 25- and 40-man roster. But it definitely creates more flexibility for us. “
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Pompey sidelined
Blue Jays outfielder Dalton Pompey has been diagnosed with a concussion and will not participate in any spring training activities until he’s fully recovered from the injury.
“It’s unfortunate,” Atkins said. “We’ll just take the protocol and go step by step and day to day and make sure that he’s 100 per cent before he gets back into the fold. Every day that passes is a little bit better. But it’s something that we have to be extremely conservative with.”
Pompey suffered the injury while playing for Canada at the World Baseball Classic. During the team’s 4-1 loss to Columbia last week, he slid head-first while stealing second base and drove his face into the ground. Pompey immediately called time, taking off his helmet and lying on his stomach for several minutes. He stayed in the game for another half inning before being lifted due to concussion symptoms.
In order to return to action, Pompey will have to complete a series of tests that will be compared to baseline testing conducted prior to the injury. Then, the Blue Jays will have to complete and submit a return-to-play application to the MLB’s medical director, who will either approve or deny Pompey’s return.
Meanwhile, catcher Russell Martin and closer Roberto Osuna have also returned to Blue Jays camp from the WBC. Martin got into the Blue Jays’ 11-5 loss to the New York Yankees Thursday, striking out in both his plate appearances. Osuna will resume his spring training schedule, although the Blue Jays have yet to announce when he’ll pitch next.
