Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer has missed 80 games this season, and was expected to miss more than a few more after spraining his left knee in a game against Seattle on Aug. 14.
Toronto put him on the 10-day injured list, and fans were worried that Springer could be gone with another extended absence.
Instead, Springer is back after missing 13 games.
ROSTER MOVES:
🔹 OF George Springer reinstated from 10-day IL and is active tonight
As Toronto surged back into the playoff chase, posting an 18-9 mark from July 11 through Aug. 11, Springer was one of the top hitters in baseball.
He slashed .377/.402/.779 in those games, absolutely crushing the baseball. Springer collected 35 hits, 23 of them going for extra bases. He also scored 30 runs while driving in 24.
The 2017 World Series MVP smashed 11 of his 16 home runs during that stretch.
"Light Tower Power" explained, courtesy George Springer 🤝
Toronto has gone 6-10 since, falling five games back of the Boston Red Sox for the second Wild Card spot. The powerful Blue Jays offense was held to three or fewer runs in 12 of those games.
Rejoining the Blue Jays’ lineup on Monday night, Springer made an immediate impact, serving as the designated hitter and leading off.
He went 1-2, with a walk and two runs scored. He even stole a base in Toronto’s 7-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Toronto has to be hoping that with Springer back at the top of the order they still have a shot to make the postseason in back-to-back seasons for only the third time in franchise history.
“George is a proven, very professional (hitter) with plate discipline and elite ability to swing at pitches he can drive, so that will be a big add to the lineup for sure,” said Toronto general manager Ross Atkins prior to the game.
For now, Springer will only be a DH for the Jays, while he continues to rehab his knee.
Toronto players and fans are ecstatic to have Springer on the field in any capacity. He could have taken the money and chilled this season. Instead, he returns in time to help Toronto make a late push to the postseason.
Jones collected his first hit as a big leaguer in his second game with a single up the middle.
The next day he led off the third inning with a double, which sparked a score on an infield out by fellow bro CM Storm, also known as Cedric Mullins, which helped the Orioles snap their losing streak of 19 games against Jones’ former team the Los Angeles Angels.
Since joining The Show, the Uber talented second baseman/outfielder has a winning percentage of .667.
Jones’ knack for the dynamic plays is why we wanted to see the 24-year-old get called up sooner rather than later, as he averaged .238/.329/.417 with 10 walks and 10 home runs during his lengthy stay with Triple-A affiliate Norfolk Tides.
As we wait for his hand and eye coordination to catch up to his infield play, the Orioles have identified the new bird as a fixable solution for the future.
The Orioles fielding up the middle has been among the worst in baseball, so Jones’ mere presence on the field is an upgrade.
After facing his former team in his debut, Jones said he doesn’t hold any grudges. In fact, he credits his time with the Angels for his current trajectory.
He told PressBoxOnline.com that past teammates like Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, and Justin Upton gave him the knowledge to become a big leaguer.
“Not many people can say that they played with future Hall of Famers,” said Jones. “For me, just to be around them and several other amazing players was something special. I was glad to be up there. The biggest thing is trying not to get too high or too low.”
Look for Jones to continue finding his footing tonight as his Orioles take on the highly touted Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Ontario. First pitch is set for 7:07 p.m.
There are numerous MLB players around the league making their 2021 debut as the playoff picture becomes clearer. Baltimore Orioles infielder Richie Martin made his season debut this month.
Martin is no stranger to the Big Leagues. He made his debut in 2019 with the Orioles. That season he played in 120 games and finished with a .208 batting average, with six home runs, 23 RBI, and 10 stolen bases. As a rookie, Martin impressed many and was determined to show improvements in the future.
He made his way back to the majors this season and so far he’s put up some solid numbers.
Martin has played in 10 games and is batting .233 with a home run and four RBI. He recorded his first hit of the season in his third game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
That game he went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI.
He recently has been impressive at the plate. From August 12 to the 16 he has put together a four-game hitting streak.
It’s safe to say that Martin is making the most of his opportunity in his second stint in the majors.
The 26-year-old has dealt with his fair share of adversity in the past year, but that has not stopped him from putting on those Orioles colors.
After he finished the 2019 season, the Orioles had plans to send him down to Triple-A to start the 2020 season. But when COVID-19 interrupted those plans, Martin was among a group of many minor league players who did not have a season.
And to make things worse, Martin suffered a wrist injury in July of 2020 that required surgery.
Our MLBbro suffered another injury going into 2021 and he was forced to miss the start of spring training. Injury setbacks became the common theme for Martin.
In each instance, however, Martin rose to the occasion and pushed through the recovery process to get himself back on the field.
When 2021 came, Martin was in the Orioles farm system. He played one game of rookie ball, then spent some time in Double-A and finished playing 13 games in Triple-A. During his time in the minors, Martin spent time in the outfield. He’s the type of player who is versatile and can play in the infield or outfield.
But when he was playing the outfield, he suffered another setback. He fractured his left wrist in May after crashing into a wall trying to make a catch.
So once again Martin would have to miss time due to an injury.
But like the previous times before, he wasn’t going to let his injury stop him from getting back to the league.
So here we are now and Martin is back on the Orioles. This brother can play some ball and the Orioles can move him around on defense too, which is a good thing. With the position that the Orioles are in, there will be a good chance Martin will stay on the roster throughout the remainder of the season.
Perserverence has been the secret to Martin’s success.
Cedric Mullins singled in the first inning of an 8-1 loss to Boston on Friday, stretching his hitting streak to 20 games, the longest by an Oriole since Adam Jones in 2012.
