TORONTO — As the Toronto Blue Jays begin wrapping up a three-week training camp that was anything but optimal by design, and only made less ideal as COVID-19 test results splintered the roster and Canadian public health officials left the team scrambling to find a regular season home, it’s fair to wonder how much impact it will all have on the team’s performance.
The regular season starts Friday, you’re surely aware. And the games begin to matter right away. Starting the year in a funk could sink the season. Starting it on a tear could make it. To a man, the Blue Jays believe they’re a better team than the baseball world at large does. But the pressure will be on to prove it right away if they’re going to hang around in MLB’s toughest division.
Amidst all the uncertainty, are they ready for the challenge?
“Everybody’s been great. I’m very lucky to have good kids here. Because with this uncertainty — like, we don’t know where we’re going to play and finding out yesterday that we’re not going to play here — a lot of things could go the wrong way,” said Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo. “And I’m proud to say that this team’s ready to play, ready to go. They’re excited. They feel good about themselves. The only thing we need to know right now is where we’re going to play. And then we’re going to be OK — for sure.”
We shall see. It’s impossible to say what form the club’s in from the smattering of intrasquad games they’ve played to this point. It’s a zero-sum proposition. When Tanner Roark gives up a centre-field bomb to Alejandro Kirk, does that mean he’s having trouble getting a minor-leaguer out? Or does it mean Kirk’s capable of hitting big-league pitching?
Regardless, we appear to have seen the last of those results, as the Blue Jays have played their final intrasquad game, opting instead to hold live batting practice sessions Sunday and Monday for pitchers and hitters who still need to get work in. Following Monday’s workout, the club will fly to Boston for exhibition games against the Red Sox on Tuesday and Wednesday. From there, they’ll head to St. Petersburg, where the regular season gets underway Friday night at Tropicana Field.
Montoyo estimates his hitters were able to get north of 40 plate appearances each during camp, which is around what they might have at the end of a traditional spring training. Of course, intrasquad scrimmages and live batting practice sessions can’t truly simulate the stresses and demands of a live regular season game. But a spring training contest — in which hitters face a random minor-league pitcher with little command they’ve never seen before and may never see again — doesn’t exactly do the trick either.
For his part, Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez says he feels ready for the season. He chose not to participate in Sunday’s live batting practice, but will do so Monday before finally getting live reps against an actual opponent in Boston this week.
“They’ve been doing an excellent job here with the at-bats that we’ve taken every day. And I feel really good,” Hernandez said. “For me, I always work hard. It doesn’t matter if we’re here early or late. I’m trying to do my work as soon as I get here, I get warmed up, have my hot water, get into the training room, get all my stuff done, go to the cage for half an hour, and then go to the field. I do the same thing every day.”
Hernandez says a big focus this off-season, this spring, and now through summer training camp has been his two-strike approach. The 27-year-old has posted strikeout rates north of 30 per cent each of the last three seasons, and while his power profile likely won’t let him reduce that number too far, he’d clearly like to improve on it.
Last season, Hernandez struck out in 55.6 per cent of his plate appearances that went to two strikes. MLB average was 42.8 per cent. Of course, good outcomes are extremely unlikely in two-strike counts, as the league hit .173/.247/.286 with two strikes last season. But putting the ball in play at least allows a better chance of something good happening.
“You have to get your mind ready for two strikes. It’s going to be hard,” Hernandez said. “Sometimes you have to shorten your swing, you have to put the ball in play. And you’re not going to get good pitches to hit when you’ve got two strikes. I think that’s the hardest part.”
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On the pitching side, reliever Anthony Bass says he had productive conversations with the club at the beginning of camp with regards to how much work he needed to get in over the three weeks. After throwing live batting practice on Saturday, he feels he’s adequately prepared for the season.
“The Jays have been great with asking me what I need to get ready. How many outings do I need? Do I need to take a break? Talking with the strength coaches, workouts, things like that,” he said. “It’s case by case. Some guys might need an extra outing or two. Starting pitchers are different cases. Being a reliever, I’m only going to go out there for an inning or two. So, it’s quicker for me to be ready.”
The Blue Jays will need Bass to be as prepared as possible come the end of this week, as he’s expected to face high leverage out of Toronto’s bullpen, protecting slim leads and getting the ball to closer Ken Giles in the ninth. Bass said that every time he took the mound at Rogers Centre over the last several weeks, he tried to treat it like it was a late-inning situation during a regular season game at Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park.
“I play a game in my mind. And I take it very seriously when I go out there,” he said. “Because you can’t take anything for granted at this level. You’ve got to be locked in. As soon as you coast or get comfortable, that’s when you get beat. So, I try to prepare like it’s a game situation and that it’s July 24.”
Of course, some Blue Jays are on less firm standing than Hernandez and Bass and will continue competing for big-league roster spots this week. The club expects to travel around 35 players to Boston on Monday, paring the roster down to 30 from there for opening day.
Although he’s been steadily improving and playing long toss in recent days, Chase Anderson will begin the season on the injured list due to an oblique injury he suffered while warming up for a bullpen. That opens a clear lane for Trent Thornton to claim the fourth spot in Toronto rotation behind opening day starter Hyun-Jin Ryu, Matt Shoemaker, and Roark.
That still leaves one opening in Toronto’s five-man rotation. Asked Sunday to identify candidates for that spot, Montoyo refused, saying simply, “it’s a lot of guys.”
But that seems unlikely at this point in camp. The regular season begins in five days. And surely it would take an extremely dark horse to overcome one of Ryan Borucki, Anthony Kay or Nate Pearson in that race. For what it’s worth, Pearson will start one of the two games in Boston this week, facing the biggest test of his young career.
There is uncertainty on the position player side, as well. Left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who experienced some left side discomfort during an intrasquad game this week, felt well enough to play catch on Sunday and could get into Monday’s live batting practice session. But his status will remain questionable until he takes more concrete steps.
Meanwhile, infielder Brandon Drury has remained in Dunedin throughout Blue Jays camp on the injured list for an undisclosed reason. Montoyo said Drury’s been able to participate in some baseball activities of late and could potentially join the club in Boston this week. But he wouldn’t commit one way or the other as to Drury’s status for opening day.
“I don’t know. That’s a day-to-day deal,” Montoyo said. “I’ll tell you more when I see him, see what he looks like and how he feels. And then we’ll make a decision. That’s probably going to be a last minute decision to see how he’s doing.”
Jonathan Davis is also still on the injured list for an undisclosed reason, although he’s been working out in Toronto with the club this week. Wilmer Font, expected to face leverage out of Toronto’s bullpen, is similarly on the injured list without explanation, and hasn’t been spotted at Rogers Centre.
So, for the Blue Jays, plenty of questions remain. And plenty of uncertainty exists. But that was always going to be the case in a rushed camp ahead of an abbreviated season played amidst a global pandemic. Players knew to expect some unusual challenges coming in. And come Friday, we’ll begin to learn what we can expect of them.
“We’re trying to stay positive. We’re trying to focus on wining baseball games right now and let the front office deal with where our home games will be played,” Bass said. “Yeah, it’s challenging. There’s no question about it. Guys definitely are trying to figure things out for themselves and their families. But we know that we have one mission — and that’s to win a championship.”
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
