TORONTO -- Coming through the offseason and Spring Training with George Springer on the roster, Randal Grichuk's exact role on this Blue Jays team was in question.
His everyday role from 2020 and prior wasn’t in the cards, given the presence of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Teoscar Hernández on either side of Springer, but Grichuk is still a player in his prime physical years who posted a .770 OPS over his first three seasons with the Blue Jays, playing both right and center field. There's a spot for that player on every roster and in most lineups.
Beyond trade talks and lineup strategies, though, the simple answer all along has been that, in baseball, these things tend to work themselves out. We’ve yet to see a team hampered by too much depth, and Grichuk’s opportunity came knocking on Opening Day, filling in for the injured Springer. Stepping up to the dish in the top of the 10th with a runner on second, Grichuk launched a double over the head of Aaron Judge in right field to bring home the eventual game-winning run.
“You can either sulk or use it as motivation and play with a chip on your shoulder,” Grichuk said Saturday. “Obviously, still not knowing what my role is going to be this year, I just know when I get an opportunity [I have] to go out there and play hard, leave it out on the field and force them to keep me in the lineup.”
The opportunities will still be there for Grichuk. Even when Springer is back, it’s difficult to envision the group staying healthy through a full season, and DH reps will be available throughout the year. Perhaps this lands Grichuk in the range of 115 games played instead of 140-plus, for example, but this is a problem that good teams have.
It’s a challenge for a manager, too. No longer is Charlie Montoyo telling rookies or fringe players that they’ll be out of the lineup on any given day. He’ll be telling established big leaguers that they’re not in the lineup, but it all comes back to his core value.
“In the big leagues or in Triple-A, it’s all about communicating,” Montoyo said. “I have to do the same thing. The days they might be off, like right now when we’re going to play 16 in a row, some guys are going to be off. That’s fine. The good thing about our lineup this year is that, when I take somebody off, when the other guy goes in, the lineup is still good. That’s a good feeling for a manager.”
Grichuk added that he didn’t feel sharp through camp as he worked on his hand placement, working to find a more comfortable setup, but he feels he’s finally back to where he wants to be. He’ll be in this lineup plenty, it just might look a little different each time.
Mr. 100
Friday’s Opening Day victory over the Yankees was win No. 100 for third-year manager Montoyo. What did the milestone mean to him?
“That I just tied Buck Martinez,” Montoyo said with a laugh. Martinez, now a Blue Jays broadcaster with Sportsnet, managed the Blue Jays from 2001-02 and played for the club from 1981-86.
Montoyo should be able to keep climbing this list in 2021, too. Passing Bobby Mattick (104 wins), John Farrell (154), Roy Hartsfield (166) and Jim Fregosi (167) would move Montoyo into sixth all-time in Blue Jays managerial wins, with fifth place belonging to Carlos Tosca at 191.
Injury updates:
• Left-hander Robbie Ray (left elbow contusion) is the starter closest to returning, and threw a bullpen on Friday that he came out of feeling good. His timeline is still being determined, but he’s on track to return in the near future.
• No. 1 prospect Nate Pearson (right adductor strain) played catch on Friday, Montoyo said, but that timeline won’t become clearer until he’s throwing off a mount consistently. The Blue Jays will be very cautious with their top young arm after he experienced a setback late in camp.
• Right-hander Thomas Hatch (right elbow impingement) also played catch Friday. The timeline of his return is also not clear, but the Blue Jays are very encouraged that he’s been throwing without pain or symptoms.