PHILADELPHIA — Up with runners on second and third and none out in the seventh inning Thursday, Brett Bateman’s groundout didn’t plate a run and he was still kicking himself when Buffalo Bisons manager Casey Candaele called him to the office after the game.
“He was like, 'Hey man, I just wanted to talk to you about the guys at second and third. What was going through your head?'” Bateman recalled. “I was like, ‘Yeah, obviously, got to be better, got to do the job, ultimately, flying out, putting the ball in play in the air. He was like, ‘You don't have to worry about doing that here because you're going to Toronto.’ I’d been there for pretty much under three days. It was pretty crazy, man. It's been a crazy five-day storm for me so far, but I'm really excited for this opportunity.”
The opportunity, in the starting lineup for the Toronto Blue Jays, playing centre field and batting ninth against Zack Wheeler, is the latest spin of the whirlwind for the 24-year-old, who was on a bus going from Des Moines to Indianapolis on Sunday when he learned he was part of the return from the Chicago Cubs for Kevin Gausman.
He finished that long bus ride, made his way back to Des Moines on Monday, packed up for Buffalo, made it there Tuesday even as his equipment bag did not, played in some of teammate Jay Harry’s gear and got his stuff back in time to bring it with him to Philadelphia.
The Blue Jays, manager John Schneider said, had been talking about getting him on the roster, and the right quad strain suffered by Luis Urias in Thursday’s 3-2, 11-inning loss to the Chicago Cubs created an opening.
At just five-foot-10 and 170 pounds, the left-handed-hitting centre fielder is a chaos agent with his combination of plate discipline, speed and contact, batting .312/.430/.421 with 20 stolen bases in 23 attempts in 82 games with Iowa before the trade. Bateman is a strong defender, too, and if his profile at the plate translates, the Blue Jays may have at least part of an answer to their question in centre field.
He’s already made a good impression on the club’s player-development staff since his arrival and did the same thing with Schneider during their initial conversation Friday.
“I was kind of feeling him out a little bit, going through the whole thing here, talking about signs, this and that, and I said, ‘What's your first question to me?’” said Schneider. “He said, ‘Am I playing tonight?’ And I said, ‘Do you want to play tonight?’
“I can't repeat what he said, but it was very, very encouraging, and he knew exactly who was on the mound and who was on the mound tomorrow and who was in their bullpen. I've said this a lot this year: This is a big-boy league. We're still trying to win every single game we can. This isn't like, hey, let's see what this kid can do that we traded for. We think he can help us win games. So, I liked the initial conversation with him.”
The Blue Jays liked his first at-bat in the majors even more, as Bateman slashed a 97.4 m.p.h. fastball off the left-field wall, advancing to third on a Nathan Lukes groundout before scoring on an Alejandro Kirk sacrifice fly. He then walked in his second and third trips up before grounding out in the eighth, capping off a strong debut in a 5-4 win over the Phillies.
“I barrelled it,” Bateman said of his double. “I got it well, but I was just thinking turn at first and just keep going. I’m not known as a big power guy, so I was just getting the barrel on it was enough for me. Got a good launch angle on it and then once I got to second, I was happy, gave a thumbs up. I don't really know what the celly was. I'm really not included on that, so just gave a thumbs up and a let's go. Pretty cool.”
As a career .280/.396/.341 hitter in the minor leagues, such pop isn’t a big part of his game, but it was reflective of Bateman’s approach on the field, where, “I try not to be someone that I'm not.
“Just trying to be the person that I am, that's what got me here,” he continued. “I know people say 'he doesn't have power, he doesn't have power.' But if you do one thing right, then Skip doesn't have an option to not put you in the lineup. I try not to focus on the things that I'm not good at and focus on things I'm really good at, because ultimately, baseball is a team sport; if you do something really well, contribute to a team, that's going to help them a lot.”
Another down day for Vlad
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was out of the lineup for a third straight game Friday, although manager John Schneider said the tightness in the first baseman’s hamstring was easy and a return Saturday was possible.
“Vlad’s feeling better,” he said. “Less tight, less aggravating doing things, whether it's hitting, running, and getting a little bit more strength back there.”
Short hops
Yimi Garcia is deciding what steps to take after being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, his season all but officially over. He underwent surgery last summer to remove some scar tissue in his elbow, but that didn’t alleviate his issues and Garcia managed only nine rehab outings before being forced to shut down. … Spencer Arrighetti rejoined the Blue Jays in Philadelphia with plans for an MRI after experiencing a recurrence of the foot issues that landed him on the IL during a rehab outing with Buffalo on Thursday. … Luke Waldron, claimed on waivers from San Diego on Wednesday, was activated Friday, with Chase Lee optioned to make room for him on the roster. Matt Waldron, claimed on waivers from San Diego on Wednesday, was activated Friday, with Chase Lee optioned to make room for him on the roster. He pitched a clean eighth to help preserve a 5-2 lead.
0:58
