The Blue Jays, and the Toronto faithful, have taken quickly to Kazuma Okamoto. From quesadillas to an unexpected walk-up song, his impact has extended well beyond his 22 home runs or .753 OPS.
But Okamoto was out of the lineup Wednesday for a scheduled day off, and one Jays teammate made sure he wasn’t going ANYWHERE during his time of rest. Myles Straw literally wrapped tape around Okamoto pregame to tie the third baseman to the bench.
That's one way to tape ... er, take ... a seat.
Of course, Okamoto had to be unraveled later on. He pinch-hit for Sean Keys in the seventh inning, striking out after an eight-pitch at-bat. He also stayed in the game defensively.
Still, the Blue Jays certainly want to make sure they take good care of their AL Rookie of the Year candidate, and a Pedro Martínez-esque dugout prank can't hurt.
It’s been a good debut for Okamoto after a decorated career with Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yomiuri Giants. His 22 homers tie Shohei Ohtani for the most by a Japanese-born rookie in MLB.