Blue Jays Notebook: Swanson feeling good despite high usage, Guerrero Jr. heating up

CHICAGO – Concerns over major workload increases from one season to the next aren’t as much of a concern for relievers as they are for starters, but the Toronto Blue Jays are certainly paying attention to the spike of innings Erik Swanson is on pace to log.

At 41.1 frames over 41 appearances, the 29-year-old right-hander is already within striking distance of the 53.2 innings in 57 appearances he worked last year, and at his current usage rates, projects to blow past that at nearly 80 innings for the season.

Heading into Wednesday’s play – when the Blue Jays and Chicago White Sox were postponed by rain setting up a Thursday doubleheader – only Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase and Atlanta reliever A.J. Minter had appeared in more games at 42 apiece. On the Blue Jays, he’s ahead of lefty Tim Mayza (39 games, 28.1 innings), closer Jordan Romano (37 games, 35.2 innings) and Yimi Garcia (37 games, 34.2 innings), among others.

“Relievers are a little bit different, I think, because they’re pitching in shorter spurts, but we definitely look at (workload jumps),” said manager John Schneider. “He’s aware of it, we’re aware of it and it comes down to other guys stepping up in spots he may be in some nights if we are going to give him a blow that night. When everything’s going the right way, you’re getting contributions from all eight guys and not just two or three. Hopefully that can kind of help out a little bit, as well. But we’re paying close attention to it and you see how his stuff looks compared to the beginning of the year to now and try to make the best decision for him.”

Complicating that is Swanson, acquired from the Seattle Mariners along with pitching prospect Adam Macko for Teoscar Hernandez, tends to be one of Schneider’s preferred choices for bridging gaps to Romano, and for lefty matchups when Mayza isn’t available (left-handed hitters are 9-for-64 against Swanson this season).

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His dependability has meant that 11 times this season he’s pitched on back-to-back days with 15 other appearances on one day’s rest. As a result, he’s had to learn how to compete on days “where I don’t have my best stuff,” something that’s already happened “a few different times.” 

“I feel like that’s just going to come with the time and experience and I feel like me logging some of these games in this first half, trying to figure that out for myself has been really good,” he said. “Just trying not to get too big in certain situations and do the things that I do really well, that’s going to allow me to have success in those outings that I don’t have my best stuff.”

Now, big-inning totals aren’t entirely new to Swanson, who in 2018 logged 121.2 innings over 26 games, 24 starts, at three levels of the New York Yankees system. In 2019, he threw 82.1 innings between triple-A and majors as both a starter and reliever, but his current pace is somewhat uncharted territory, forcing him to be more diligent about his pre and post work.

“I’m doing a lot more than I have in the past,” he said. “I feel like my routine this year has been better than ever, which has allowed my body to feel better than it ever has. It’s allowed me to throw as many outings as I have. That’s the biggest thing. Doing little things in the training room, in the weight room just to make sure that I’m still able to go every time my name is called.”

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VLADDY IN A GROOVE: A Joey Votto post-game interview went viral this week when he pointed out how he and phenom Elly De La Cruz were both wearing their hats backwards and jerseys untucked, saying, “we’re young. We’re hip. This is what young and hip people do.”

It was epic and worth the watch, and if you go for the quip, stay for his keen insights into hitting, when he describes how “the way I was swinging was sending me toward consistent productive at-bats.”

His explanation of that process reminded me of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who for different reasons seems to be on a similar path. With four homers in his past 10 games, two of them coming late to decided contests, Guerrero may be sending himself toward consistent productive at-bats, as well.

“That’s a good way to put it,” said John Schneider. “When you’re that talented, you can kind of get away with things that other people can’t for one. But I think having him understand how he’s being pitched is a big part of what he’s going to do going forward, not only this year, but in his career. And you see small gains. You see deep fly balls at home, you see a couple of home runs at home. He’s always going to hit the ball hard. And it really just comes down to what he’s swinging at. When he’s swinging at pitches in a certain part of the zone, he’s going to be as good as anyone in the league and as dangerous as anyone in the league. So I think his season, you kind of saw that at the start, you know what I mean? And then it’s just the cat and mouse game of how people are pitching him and how you’re responding.”

To that end, Guerrero’s at-bat against Joe Kelly in Tuesday’s 4-3 win over the White Sox was Exhibit A in that regard. 

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Speaking through interpreter Hector Lebron, Guerrero said he was hunting “something up in the zone, doesn’t matter slider or fastball,” and when Kelly slung up a slider he shot it out to right field for a go-ahead two-run homer. 

“Right now, in the last 10 days or so, he’s kind of finding a little bit out about himself, OK, if it’s a borderline pitch I’m going lay off and if it’s a pitch in the middle of zone, doesn’t matter what it is, I’m going be ready to hammer it,” said Schneider. “It’s a tough pitcher yesterday in Joe Kelly and he goes oppo. He can do that if he gets balls in the right spot of the zone. Hopefully that’s what he’s kind of figured out. I think he’s well on his way in conversations with him and Guillermo and Hudge, trying to stay consistent with that.”

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DERBY PAIRINGS: Tough draw for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in next week’s home run derby, as he’ll face off against Mookie Betts in the first round. The winner of that matchup will face the winner of the Pete Alonso-Julio Rodriguez matchup. 

On the other side of the bracket, Luis Robert Jr. takes on Adley Rutschman while Adolis Garcia faces Randy Arozarena.

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