Jose Bautista #19 of the Toronto Blue Jays leaves the field after losing to the Boston Red Sox, 4-3, at Fenway Park on September 6, 2014 in Boston, MassachusettsGetty Images
Don't try to talk to Jose Bautista about taking up another position, like left field or first base, that might ease some of the pressure off his sore right throwing shoulder.
Until his injured arm is rehabilitated enough for him to resume duties in his normal spot in right field – and who knows when that might be – Bautista will just have to be patient and let the medicine and treatment run their course.
"Left and right (field), there's not much difference," Bautista said on Monday, prior to the Toronto Blue Jays' game against the Chicago White Sox at Rogers Centre.
"First base would be a shorter [throw]. But if I'm out on the field, it's because I can compete. It's not because I'm good enough to throw 50 per cent, and it's just good enough to get by. I can't be out on defence hurting the team."
The Blue Jays slugger has not been able to play the field since April 21, but he has been used as the team's designated hitter – his injured shoulder does not restrict his swing.
Bautista began a light throwing program last week and the results have not been that positive. An MRI and X-rays have not detected any structural damage, yet painful inflammation continues to prevent him from throwing the ball with his usual conviction.
On Sunday, Bautista decided to have a cortisone injection into the shoulder. The painful shot kept him out of Sunday's game against the Seattle Mariners and he was not in the starting lineup Monday.
Bautista said the shot was simply another attempt to bring him some relief.
"Not only on the field for my work life, but also regular life," Bautista said. "Having throbbing pain at night is not necessarily enjoyable, and I was having to take pain medicine just to go to sleep. And that was messing up my stomach. It was just time.
"And I've been on the pain medicine for too long anyways, so it's time to cut that out and try alternatives. And this is the least invasive out of all the alternatives."
The "alternatives" include exploratory surgery, which is not something Bautista is interested in.
"You take pictures, look at MRIs and X-rays and there's not much there other than inflammation," he said. "It would be pretty hard for all these doctors and experts to look at my MRIs to not see anything To do an exploratory surgery would have to be absolute last resort. It makes no sense unless it gets to the point where I cannot play any more, and this would be the only way for me to get back out on to the field."
Bautista knows that while he remains in the DH role, it makes it difficult for other players such as Dioner Navarro (when healthy), Justin Smoak, Danny Valencia and Chris Colabello to get enough playing time.
"I want to be out on the field," he said. "I'm a complete player and I feel I can contribute on both sides, as long as I'm healthy. Right now I'm not, so I can only DH. Because of the make up of our team as well, the composition of players that we have … it's just tough to throw myself into that mix. It's too many players sort of in the same role. It definitely could create a logjam with a lack of bodies to go out in the outfield."