TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays do not believe the left wrist issues that prompted Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s surgery on his hamate bone were responsible for the left-fielder’s drop in power this season.
“Could be, but we did not think so, he did not think so,” GM Ross Atkins said Friday. “It wasn't something that he was complaining about chronically.”
Gurriel hit 21 homers and slugged .466 in 141 games in 2021 but went deep just five times with a .400 slugging percentage in 2022, although his batting average (.276-.291) and on-base percentages (.319-.343) both climbed.
The Blue Jays announced the surgery Thursday and Atkins specified Friday that procedure was on the hamate, a carpal bone found at the bottom of the hand by the wrist.
Gurriel missed a Sept. 2 game at Pittsburgh with wrist soreness but “he was able to tolerate it and there was the potential of him continuing to go even through this off-season without a procedure,” said Atkins.
Once Gurriel suffered what turned out to be a season-ending hamstring injury Sept. 7 at Baltimore, the issue was reviewed again and “there was enough information that pointed to moving forward with a procedure for the hamate,” said Atkins.
The 29-year-old, who is eligible for free agency after next season, should be able to resume activity in 4-to-6 weeks and is expected to be ready for spring training.
SPRINGER RETURNS HOME: George Springer, who suffered a concussion and shoulder sprain during a frightening collision with Bo Bichette during the Blue Jays’ Game 2 loss to Seattle, is back home in Connecticut after being cleared for travel.
The star centre-fielder is through his concussion symptoms, said Ross Atkins, but hasn’t yet decided whether to have surgery on the bone spurs in his right elbow that dogged him throughout 2022.
COACHING CAROUSEL: Next up for the Blue Jays and newly minted manager John Schneider is deciding the fate of the coaching staff and while major changes aren’t expected, some tweaks to roles, titles and responsibilities are possible.
“It's very unique where we've been around each other for a long period of time. It was a very cohesive unit,” said Schneider. “We've all spoken recently and we're still working through everything. I think (the group returning) is the expectation, hopefully everyone is back in some capacity.”
Third-base coach Luis Rivera (2011) and pitching coach Pete Walker (2012) are the longest serving members of the coaching staff and date back to John Farrell’s group. Both have been in their current roles since John Gibbons took over as manager in 2013.
Atkins said the process of selecting coaches “is usually collective,” but “ultimately, in an ideal world, me as a GM would prefer that the manager is making that final call.”
DANNER IMPRESSES: Hagen Danner, the double-A right-hander currently making up for lost time in the Arizona Fall League, is opening eyes with the Salt River Rafters.
One evaluator from a rival team described the electric-armed 24-year-old as “nasty” and praised the way the bottom fell out on his breaking ball.
Danner has three strikeouts in 2.2 innings with three runs allowed in three outings so far after an elbow injury limited him to four appearances at New Hampshire this year.
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