Bautista 'feeling great,' will return to lineup Friday
Jose Bautista wasn't in the Toronto Blue Jays' lineup Wednesday, getting scratched shortly before first pitch for precautionary reasons, but the veteran right fielder will be back at it Friday, he said, and is no longer experiencing the lower-back stiffness that snuck up on him during the World Baseball Classic.
"I'm feeling great," Bautista told MLB.com's Paul Hagen. "But with an off-day (Thursday) I talked to the staff and it makes no sense to crank it up just to take a day off. So I'm going to get back in the lineup on Friday (against the Red Sox)."
Bautista, who went 6-for-18 (.333) with one home run and one double in five WBC contests with the Dominican Republic, didn't play in his country's final game of the tournament due to discomfort in his back, which could've been caused by any number of factors, he said.
"Long flights. Travel. Get up early for practice. Those kinds of things," Bautista said. "It happens. It can happen to anybody during the season, offseason. It's one of those things."
Before leaving Dunedin, Fla., to join the Dominican team, Bautista had been the hottest hitter in Blue Jays' camp, hitting .563 with two homers, two doubles, two walks, and one stolen base through his first six Grapefruit League contests.
"I got off to a good start this spring," said Bautista. "(I am) seeing the ball well, and feeling good at the plate. So hopefully that carries on."