TORONTO – George Springer’s first trip back to Houston as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays was always going to be weird and emotional for the star outfielder, although his return to the injured list this week meant there was a much different dominant feeling.
“To say extremely frustrating would be an understatement,” he explained before his new team began a series against his old one. “Especially being new to the organization, being new to the team, I was excited to come and play and attempt to help any way that I could. Obviously, I’m no good on the bench. It’s extremely frustrating for me to not be able to play. That’s all I want to do – play.”
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When he can resume doing so remains uncertain, complicated by the club’s ongoing re-assessment of how his initial activation from the right quad strain went awry four games in.
Springer was on the verge of coming back from a left oblique strain when he first hurt the quad during the Blue Jays’ visit to Arlington, Texas during the first week of April. He returned April 28 against Washington and played three more games, pulling himself out of a 7-2 win over Atlanta last Sunday when he re-aggravated the quad.
There may have been a warning sign Saturday when Springer grabbed at his leg running up the first-base line, but hit two homers later in a 6-5, comeback win.
“I was determined to stay in that game. I’m glad I did. I believe I can play through whatever,” he said. “Obviously, I couldn’t and here I am.”
In his mind were the words of manager Charlie Montoyo, who Springer said cautioned him not to do anything stupid.
“I’ve played, I’ve had those injuries, if you want to keep trying and do something stupid, you’re going to get hurt for a long time,” said Montoyo. “What happens, the next at-bat is going to be a ball in the hole and as a guy who likes to compete, you’re going to go a little bit harder and that’s when you really get hurt. It could have been worse if he kept playing.”
Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins said Thursday that the club’s objective testing indicated Springer was ready to play and appear in the outfield, and praised his pain tolerance, suggesting that would need to be factored in more heavily this time around.
Asked if he may have pushed himself too hard, Springer said: “I just know that I wanted to play and I wanted to be out there with the team. I wanted to contribute any way that I can. I tried to be smart. I tried to do everything in my power to control it. But at the end of the day, you can’t control things that you can’t control. I’m not trying to hurt myself. I felt good. I thought I was ready to go, ready to help this team. Obviously that didn’t work out the way I wanted it to. So now it’s about getting back after it and getting back out there, but most importantly, staying back out there.”
As for how to accomplish that – quad injuries can be difficult and linger for extended periods – Springer said he’ll apply the unwanted experience he picked up from the last time, but “those are all conversations that I’ll sit down (and have) with the medical staff. Whatever boxes they think that I need to check off before I can get back out there to make sure one hundred per cent that I’m clear and free to go, I’m sure we’ll do.”
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NOTES:
• The Blue Jays don’t expect Joe Panik’s left calf strain to keep him out for an extended period but had to put him on the injured list to bolster their bench. Rowdy Tellez was recalled to give Charlie Montoyo another left-handed bat to work with.
• Left-hander Anthony Kay is tentatively slated to fill the TBA rotation spot for Sunday’s series finale in Houston, said Montoyo.
•Hyun-Jin Ryu reported for duty no worse for the wear after coming off the IL to start Thursday, according to the manager.
• A.J. Cole is the only player the Blue Jays are carrying on their taxi squad right now. Teams can still carry up to five players, but with the triple-A season underway, there’s a developmental cost in keeping players from getting game reps.
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