Blue Jays Notebook: Davis Schneider’s hectic week, changes needed at Fenway

CLEVELAND — To say the previous few days of Davis Schneider‘s life have been hectic can be an understatement.

Call as much as the majors. Check.

Debut at Fenway Park, no much less. Check.

Historic first three video games within the majors. Check.

The utility man was not within the lineup for Tuesday’s recreation in opposition to the Cleveland Guardians as Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider opted to offer the 24-year-old a breather.

So, the place’s Davis Schneider’s head proper now?

“It’s definitely still a blur,” the rookie stated Tuesday after taking batting observe at Progressive Field. “I feel like I’m on Cloud Nine. It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I feel like it will sink in after the season just because everything happened so fast — I got called up, went to the airport, and I was playing the next day. So, it hasn’t really sunk in for me, personally.”

Schneider’s story has captivated the baseball world. A Twenty eighth-round choice within the 2017 MLB Draft, he toiled for years within the minor leagues earlier than making some swing changes that altered the course of his profession.

This previous weekend in Boston, Schneider grew to become the primary participant in MLB historical past to document 9 hits and two dwelling runs in his first three video games.

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John Schneider has stated that gamers within the Blue Jays clubhouse, particularly the veterans, have gravitated to the rookie and recognize his backstory.

Brandon Belt, who’s in his thirteenth MLB season, is one such participant.

“It’s easy to respect anybody that put in the work and had to grind it out in the minors for a while, because it’s easy to give up down there,” Belt stated. “And that’s something that he never did. He kept working. And he’s probably been told a few times that this might not be in the cards for him to make it up to the big leagues. He didn’t accept no for an answer. So, it’s pretty cool to see a story like that, no matter how long you’ve been around.”

Schneider’s arrival adopted a tough collection in opposition to the American League East-leading Baltimore Orioles during which the Blue Jays dropped three of 4 video games. There’s a preferred narrative in sports activities that younger gamers can instantly inject life right into a group. Belt says he’s seen it earlier than and that’s what is occurring within the Blue Jays clubhouse now.

It’s not a fable, he declares.

“It’s definitely a real thing,” says Belt. “It just brings an energy to the team that maybe hasn’t been there for a while. I think it was a needed shot in the arm for us. To see a young guy come up and the energy he has to be up here playing big games in a playoff race. It reinvigorates everybody out there.”

“After a series like we had against Baltimore, stuff just seems kind of stagnant a little bit or gets people a little bit down,” continues Belt. “Especially when you’re in a playoff race and lose to a division rival like that. And then to have a young guy come out and bring that energy of just being so happy to be up in the big leagues at this point in time, and on top of that, to see him go off in his first few games, that’s fun for us to watch. I mean, we’re fans of baseball, too. That’s really cool for other guys to see, the veteran guys, especially when we had a rough series beforehand.”

Davis Schneider — who sports activities an old-school moustache — has grow to be one thing of a cult hero again in Canada and says he’s wanting ahead to creating his Rogers Centre debut when the Blue Jays return dwelling this weekend.

“Oh, I can’t wait,” he says. “[Blue Jays] fans [in Cleveland] are already showing the moustaches out there. When we get to Toronto, there’s probably gonna even be more. I’m nervous. I’m excited. I can’t wait.”

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Change wanted at Fenway

Kevin Kiermaier went again and seemed on the replay of his collision with the centre-field fence at Fenway Park this previous Sunday. It was a play that prompted a laceration on his proper arm that required eight stitches, which in the end landed him on the 10-day injured record.

What he noticed strains up with how Kiermaier felt on the time: He did all the pieces proper.

“I played it absolutely perfect — I was under control, used my right arm to guide me,” Kiermaier stated. “I was very graceful. It makes me think, ‘Boy, I got absolutely cut up being under control.’ If you’re out of control and you go into that, I don’t want to know what would happen.”

Kiermaier, a three-time Gold Glover, has performed 58 profession video games at Fenway Park, most of which got here throughout his tenure with the Tampa Bay Rays. He’s solely performed at two ballparks — Rogers Centre and Tropicana Field — extra occasions over his 11 years within the majors and says he’s by no means skilled something like this on the 111-year-old ballpark in Boston.

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John Schneider has likened the fence to a “cheese grater,” whereas Kiermaier hopes the Red Sox do one thing to make sure nobody else will get damage.

“I hope they cover it up because I wouldn’t want someone else to get slashed like that,” Kiermaier said. “I think that could be avoided if the Red Sox take some action toward that because it shouldn’t happen. They got a young guy [centre-fielder Jarren Duran] who loves to play really hard. Protect him and whoever else is out there.”

For now, Kiermaier must watch for his stitches to heal earlier than being activated from the IL. The sutures run alongside his proper elbow and are stopping him from bending it.

Otherwise, he says he’s doing nice.

“If it was in a different area, I probably wouldn’t have to miss time,” he says. “But it’s just an unfortunate area. At the end of day, I’ll be just fine. I’m not too worried about it.” 

Added Schneider: “Hopefully he’s got good healing skin to go with his good looks.”

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Catcher appreciation

In the ninth inning of Monday night time’s 3-1 win over the Guardians, Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen received a exercise behind the plate from reliever Jordan Hicks.

With runners in scoring place and the Blue Jays clinging to a slim lead, Jansen blocked three sweepers from Hicks that bounced within the grime earlier than dwelling plate. If even a type of balls will get by the Blue Jays catcher, it might have been a unique outlook for the group.

“So underappreciated,” Schneider stated of Jansen’s work. “The tying run is on base, go-ahead run is on base. Hicks throws 102 m.p.h with a nasty sweeper. And [Jansen] basically just put on a freaking clinic on how to keep your team in position to win.”

Jansen ranks tenth amongst main league catchers with 11 Blocks Above Average for the reason that starting of the 2022 marketing campaign. Fellow Blue Jays backstop Alejandro Kirk ranks first throughout that span with 21.

Schneider, a former catcher himself, says his backstops are diligent in that space of their work and it’s essential given the huge array of pitches with motion that the Blue Jays’ employees throws.

“He and Kirk take a ton of pride in that,” stated Schneider. “They’ve been one of the better tandems in the league for a while. In terms of balls in the dirt, you have to have a certain mindset, a mentality to do it.”

“There’s not a lot of guys who can do that,” he added. “Luckily, we have catchers that just embrace it.”

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