TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays are giving recently acquired Gio Urshela a chance to stick as their backup infielder after activating him Saturday and optioning outfielder Dalton Pompey to triple-A Buffalo to clear room.
Urshela, picked up from Cleveland for cash this week after he was designated for assignment, was primarily a third baseman coming up through the minors and he’s considered a strong defender on the hot corner.
The 26-year-old Colombian, who was delayed joining the Blue Jays while awaiting a work visa, has logged 32 games at shortstop and nine at second base in 10 years of professional baseball. The club feels his defensive skills should allow him to transition between positions relatively seamlessly.
“I signed as a shortstop, I’ve played shortstop, it’s not that hard for me,” said Urshela.
“It’s a big chance for me to keep building my career.”
Manager John Gibbons put Urshela right into the starting lineup at shortstop against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., has been playing shortstop since Aledmys Diaz sprained his ankle last weekend.
“I saw him play third base last year in Cleveland and he’s really, really good,” said Gibbons. “We’ll throw him out there and see what he can do. We’ll give the new guy an opportunity and see if he can take an advantage of it.
Urshela is out of options but opened the season on the disabled list. On rehab he went 12-for-37 in 11 games at triple-A Columbus but Cleveland didn’t have a roster spot for him so they designated him upon activation.
In 148 big-league games he has a .587 OPS.
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SHORT HOPS: Aledmys Diaz resumed throwing and will head to Dunedin, Fla., on Sunday to continue his rehab. He hasn’t started running yet on his sprained right ankle and that needs to take place before he can begin a rehab assignment. … Randall Grichuk (right knee sprain) continues to progress his baseball activities but fellow outfielder Steve Pearce (left oblique strain) has yet to begin any sort of baseball activities.
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