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Shoemaker, Jays try to win 'mental and physical battle' of constant schedule disruption - The Journal Pioneer

Major League Baseball players are creatures of habit — especially starting pitchers — but good luck trying to find some normalcy during the most unpredictable season in the history of the sport.

Less than two weeks in, things have been anything but status quo.

Take Saturday, for example: Originally, the day had been slated for Game 2 of Toronto against the Philadelphia Phillies. Of course during the week, with Miami’s COVID-19 outbreak complicating matters, Friday’s series opener was turned into a Saturday doubleheader. But when some Phillies staffers tested positive it was no longer ‘let’s play two,’ instead it was just another day in limbo for MLB’s only team without a home, the Blue Jays, with workouts and live batting practice instituted instead for Saturday and Sunday as well.

“We will try to do the same we did kind of before the season started,” Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said on a video call.

“Try to get as close to game speed as we can with our players live batting practice, you know guys need to throw. So, like a (Randal Grichuk, who has been sidelined but will return Tuesday if the game happens) needs at-bats so that’s where we’re gonna try to kind of anything close to game speed, because you know you don’t want to stop. So that’s we’re gonna do the next couple of days,” Montoyo added.

Veteran starter Matt Shoemaker has had his schedule thrown completely out of whack.

“It’s definitely a mental and physical battle,” Shoemaker said on a video call of his own.

“You think you’re getting ready to start, you know, in a couple days and that gets changed. I go from pitching Friday, I’m in the doubleheader Saturday. And then what was it yesterday or two days ago finding out, we’re not playing Philly at all. And now potentially Tuesday … Starters, definitely we have our, we love our routines, we know what works for us,” he said.

“We know what makes us physically ready makes us feel good makes us mentally ready for preparation all the work that goes into it. So definitely when little hiccups are in there it’s, it’s not fun.”

Not fun, but seemingly the new normal as MLB tries to trudge through and get this condensed season done.

Though some players on other teams are opting out of playing and Texas Rangers skip Chris Woodward told ESPN “If four or five other teams have an outbreak, I just don’t see how we can continue playing,” commissioner Rob Manfred said defiantly: “We are playing.”

Montoyo and Shoemaker both said that’s how they are approaching things and that they are staying positive. Shoemaker actually added that he thought Toronto vs. Philadelphia should have gone on as scheduled. “We think we should have been in Philly playing. Thankfully, nobody’s really sick. I mean we know a couple staff members have got it. But since no players got it we’re like, ‘we thought we still would be playing this weekend,” Shoemaker said. “We still think we should have been playing this weekend. But like I said we’ll control we can control and roll with it.”

Montoyo is trying to keep his players ready and Shoemaker is making sure he is in the best form possible. Montoyo showcased his positivity when he stood up at one point during his call to show off a shirt that said in white lettering: “We don’t quit.”

Montoyo added that nobody on the Jays has sounded off about anything, be it the lack of a home, or the ever-changing schedule.

“I’m really proud of this team for not complaining about what’s going on,” Montoyo said.

Shoemaker lauded the group for policing itself and going about things as safely as possible.

“As long as everybody’s doing their part and we’re going to try (and complete this season),” Shoemaker said. “We’re going to get in as many games as possible from a safe standpoint, from a player health standpoint.”

But to get there, players are going to have to adapt more than ever before.

“When you have too many extra off days it definitely can be a mental and physical battle … but we’ve got to overcome it,” Shoemaker said.

“Control what I can control. I can’t control. If a game gets postponed so hey I’m gonna go out there, I’m gonna get extra bullpen work in maybe throw a little bit maybe throw some hitters just find a way to make it work to make the schedule work,” he said.

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Shoemaker, Jays try to win 'mental and physical battle' of constant schedule disruption - The Journal Pioneer
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