Notebook: Milestone homer may be latest sign Blue Jays’ Springer about to get hot |
BOSTON – George Springer’s first homer in the majors came May 8, 2014 at the Detroit Tigers off Drew Smyly, while No. 300 came Tuesday against Ryan Watson and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Checking in at No. 46 and No. 47 on the slugger’s ledger is his now-Toronto Blue Jays teammate Kevin Gausman, who gave up the pair May 26, 2016 at home with the Baltimore Orioles in a 4-2 Houston Astros win.
“I mean, I've been a part of a couple of those, so I’m in that book,” the veteran right-hander quipped when asked this week about Springer’s milestone. “Exceptional hitter, great teammate, great player. Been on a lot of really good teams. He's played at a pretty high level his whole career, which you respect, always known for putting his body on the line. ... I'm not surprised that he's at 300 homers and hopefully he has a lot more to add on to that this year, too.”
Springer’s 300th was his seventh homer this season and part of a recent surge that suggests he’s finally turning the corner on the fractured left big toe he suffered April 11. He returned from the injured list a mere 16 days after the injury, determined to brush off the pain he felt on every swing and every step.
In his first 13 games back, he batted just .188/.250/.208, but since going deep at Yankee Stadium May 18, when he hit first homer since March 30 to end a 23-game drought, he’s batting .250/.350/.460 with five homers, six doubles, 11 RBI, 13 runs and 14 walks against 22 strikeouts, with five stolen bases — three of them in Boston this week.
Ten of those walks have come this month, a sure sign for hitting coach David Popkins that Springer is about to find his stride.
“We saw him start to expand a little more, not really have the typical George at-bats where he's hunting in certain lanes and then taking really close pitches. We've seen that in the last few weeks where he's started walking a little more,” said Popkins. “Those are the kind of at-bats I like to see from him. Whether he's feeling good at the plate or not, whether he's hitting the ball over the........