Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Colby Rasmus makes a catch on a ball hit by Los Angeles Angels' Chris Nelson during the fifth inning of their baseball game, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013, in Anaheim, Calif.MARK J. TERRILL/The Associated Press
He rehab numbers down in Buffalo were far from impressive but Colby Rasmus is certain he is now in a better place after being called back up to the Major League lineup of the Toronto Blue Jays.
After missing close to five weeks recovering from a hamstring injury, Rasmus rejoined the team on Wednesday and was in the starting lineup against the New York Yankees, playing centre field and batting eighth.
Rasmus is hoping it will not take that much time for his hitting eye to come around after managing just three hits – all of them singles – in 23 at-bats (.130) through six games in Triple-A with Buffalo.
As Rasmus noted, although you are down in Triple-A to recover from injury and try to get your game in order, the opposition is still the opposition and you are not going to get any breaks at the plate.
"Going to Triple-A was a little bit tough, facing some pitchers I've never faced before and them not wanting to throw me a whole lot of strikes," Rasmus said before the game. "Obviously they weren't trying to help me get better, which is just part of the game. They're all trying to strike me out and throwing me a bunch of nasty pitches.
"But I felt good in yesterday's game, I hit a couple of balls hard working back through the middle of the field."
To make room for Rasmus on the Blue Jays roster, Anthony Gose was dispatched back to the Bisons.
While Gose is a better defender than Rasmus, his hitting is still weak.
And while Rasmus can run hot and cold at the plate, when he's going well he can bring an element of power that Gose does not possess.
Before he got hurt, Rasmus was only hitting .222 in 37 games, but he did have nine home runs and 19 runs batted in.
"He'll come in here give us a little jump," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "We could use that in the offence right now."