Apr 18, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) and third baseman
Josh Donaldsoncelebrate after both scored on an eighth inning home run by Bautista agasint Atlanta Braves at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Blue Jays Key Players To Watch:
- According to Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com, “the Blue Jays hope to have Jose Bautista back in the lineup for Monday’s game. Bautista hasn’t played since April 21 because of a strained right shoulder, and while a stint on the disabled list hasn’t been completely ruled out, it’s something the organization believes can be avoided. Bautista is a career .299 hitter with 20 home runs and 42 RBIs in 47 career games at Fenway Park.” Not only that, but the last time the public saw Bautista, he smashed a home run, after having a pitch thrown behind his back. The jawing match with Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones, alone, made for the price of admission. The face of the Blue Jays’ franchise will be looking to be red-hot with his bat, instead of with his words, tonight.
- A newcomer to the Blue Jays, second baseman Devon Travis has left a big impression with the team, so far this season. After being traded from the Detroit Tigers, Travis made the Blue Jays roster and has been making the most of his time, hitting .359 with 5 home runs and 16 RBIs in 18 games. Considering that Travis was never meant to make this much of an impact, as the Blue Jays were simply looking for someone to fill a whole in their lineup at his infield position, he has more than returned a profit on their investment.
- Another big splash that the Blue Jays made was trading their Canadian hopeful Brett Lawrie to the Oakland Athletics for Josh Donaldson. While Lawrie spent much of his time in Toronto on the disabled list, swinging the bat in a manner that could only be described as unsuccessful and disappointing for Jays fans, Donaldson has shown why he was an All-Star, last season, at the plate and the third base position. Donaldson is hitting .347 with 4 home runs and 14 RBIs. His .587 slugging percentage will make Red Sox pitchers think twice about leaving any fat pitches over the plate.