The Toronto Blue Jays shortstop is ready, and anxious, to suit up for the first game of the ALDS on Thursday afternoon. (Getty)
Fear not, Toronto Blue Jays fans. Troy Tulowitzki is playing.
The All-Star shortstop said he isn’t pain free after suffering a cracked shoulder blade earlier this season, but Tulowitzki fully expects to be out on the diamond for Thursday afternoon’s ALDS opener against the Texas Rangers.
Tulowitzki spoke to the media during the Blue Jays pre-series practices and added that he’s determined to make an impact in the series:
I feel good. It’s nice to get out there, test out my shoulder, overall I felt good [lately]. I’m not pain-free. Some soreness in there, as can be expected. But that doesn’t mean I can’t play.
Of course, there wasn’t much doubt Tulowitzki would play. After all, he did play in a pair of regular season games after being sidelined by his injury for three weeks. Tulowitzki looked solid defensively in both games and finished 3-of-8 at the plate.
If Toronto can count on a healthy Tulowitzki throughout this series, and the postseason as a whole, the Blue Jays can also factor in a huge boost of confidence on both sides of the ball. It isn’t just a spark in the field but an added bonus to an already deep lineup.
Since being traded to Toronto, Tulowitzki is hitting .239 with five home runs and 17 RBIs in 41 games. He’s also a veteran presence on a Jays squad that is relatively inexperienced in the postseason. His last playoff appearance was in 2009 and, in 2007, he and the Colorado Rockies made it all the way to the World Series.
There wasn’t any clear indication earlier this week as to where Tulowitzki will fall in Toronto’s lineup on Thursday but manager John Gibbons did suggest he could fit in at the No. 5 spot.
First pitch for the Rangers/Blue Jays ALDS opener is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on FS1.