Can Promising Blue Jays Youngster Take Advantage of Second Opportunity in Majors?

Recent injuries to Toronto Blue Jays have paved the way for this outfielder to return to the league, but he has to make an impact.

Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays have weathered a flurry of injuries to remain competitive in the American League Wild Card race.

Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho was sent to the 10-day injured list on Sunday with a left hamstring strain, joining Anthony Santander, who has left shoulder inflammation.

For the next few weeks at minimum, the outfield is in need of options.

Santander’s placement on the IL led to Toronto calling up outfielder Alan Roden from Triple-A Buffalo
for a second stint in the Majors after he was sent down in May.

Roden has yet to get a hit in four at-bats since rejoining the team on June 1.

Will the recent spark in the Blue Jays’ offense help the former No. 5 prospect find sticking power?

What Does Alan Roden Plan To Do Differently in Return to Blue Jays?

After a standout performance through spring training, Roden quickly spiraled down in his first 25 games and was optioned back to Triple-A to work on his hitting.

Through 18 contests with Buffalo, Roden slashed .361/.446/.583 with 14 runs, 12 RBI, three home runs, three stolen bases and nine walks to seven strikeouts.

That earned him a trip back up to the Majors, but he has to show he can hit consistently at this level to find a permanent roster spot.

Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reported that Roden learned a lot from his first time up with Toronto and, importantly, how to make the necessary changes.

“Pitching is obviously good in the big leagues, and they can make adjustments, so the thing that was missing was making the adjustment back,” Roden said. “And doing things to recognize patterns and how I was being pitched. You have to do that quick enough so you don’t get the ball rolling on a bunch of poor outings, you try to be more consistent.”

It speaks to the caliber of pitching in the MLB, and Roden saw that discrepancy play out at the minor level.

“It’s the consistency of the stuff and the ability to execute every pitch that they have, that’s the big difference,” Roden said.

That has yet to happen in his return, but he hasn’t had too many opportunities at the plate to build momentum.

It’s impossible for a player to improve if they don’t know what went wrong the first time.

But the real test is being able to employ that knowledge, and it's where Roden stands today.

He diagnosed the problem and saw how he was compounding it by trying to do too much.

“I think part of this was me expanding too much and being uncommitted to whatever I was trying to do,” Roden admitted. “I was trying to do everything with everything. Obviously, that’s never going to work. It’s about getting pitchers in the zone and putting my commitment into the at-bat.”

At a critical point in the season for Toronto, it would be easy for manager John Schneider to be hasty and impatient with players not producing as they assess their viability for the postseason ahead of the trade deadline.

Instead, much like they waited out Addison Barger to become sensational, they’ll look to give a longer leash to Roden in his return back.

This time, those contention hopes are on the line, and the outfield is thin.

If Roden can simplify his approach and stay out of his head to find consistency hitting, his ceiling should be higher than many in the lineup.