Dickerson talks Blue Jays debut; Biggio to IL

TORONTO -- Tuesday was the beginning of a new chapter for Corey Dickerson, the veteran outfielder the Blue Jays acquired from the Marlins along with Adam Cimber on June 29 when Dickerson was still injured.

Now back from a left foot injury, the challenges Dickerson has faced on the field pale in comparison to what he’s experienced off of it these past two years. Over the All-Star break, Dickerson lost his father, Tim, to kidney cancer.

Growing up, Dickerson’s father wouldn’t miss a game, but Dickerson admitted to having a bit of a temper when he was younger. His father would tell him that he wouldn’t come to the next games unless Dickerson could “shore up [his] attitude,” a memory that brought back a smile. And as he works through the grief, he’s trying to use some of the lessons handed down to him from his father and grandfather, who passed last year.

“I try to carry his resilience with me,” Dickerson said. “It makes a lot of baseball players, you’ve got to be resilient and come back every single day and compete, no matter if you’re hurting or not. He went through a lot the last couple of years of his life, and I feel like I got that from him.”

Working back from his foot injury has felt like a second Spring Training, Dickerson said, as he’s attempted to get his body back to 100 percent and find his timing again. It’s a challenging thing to do with everyone else in midseason form, as he’ll be jumping right into a playoff race on a new team in a new country. Separating baseball from life hasn’t been easy, but when Dickerson is at his best on the field, that part can come naturally.

“Having kids and stuff like that, I’ve matured in the last couple of years,” Dickerson said. “I like being a good teammate and helping the guys around me. I’m a server more than I am a selfish person. The more I can give, the more I feel pleasure from it. That’s what I’m trying to do every single day, and the baseball stuff will take care of itself.”

Having some familiarity with manager Charlie Montoyo helps, too. The two spent some time together with Tampa Bay when Montoyo was the third-base coach, and Dickerson feels he can talk to Montoyo about anything. Montoyo was thrilled the moment the trade went down, too, calling Dickerson a “gamer” who could impact the team in a variety of ways.

Dickerson will debut at designated hitter on Tuesday, but how the outfield picture shakes out from here will be one of the more important storylines of the final months for the Blue Jays. George Springer will be out in center field every day, and Toronto needs Teoscar Hernández’s bat in the lineup, so Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Randal Grichuk could be part of the rotation with Dickerson depending on matchups.

The DH spot will solve some of this, of course, and Dickerson will be a great option for Montoyo in late innings when he’s on the bench.

“We’re going to get to that point, but it feels good to have someone like Dickerson, because if he’s not playing and he’s on the bench, when they bring a tough righty out of the bullpen, he can pinch-hit for anybody. He’s that good,” Montoyo said. “That’s why the Rays are so good. That’s what they have. When you’re thinking about bringing somebody in, they’ve got like five guys to pinch-hit, and that’s what Dickerson does for us now.”

Biggio to the 10-day IL

Cavan Biggio was placed on the IL with mid-back tightness, one of several injuries that have been nagging him throughout the season. Montoyo hopes that Biggio needs only the 10-day minimum, but it’s been a tough season physically for Biggio. Back in Spring Training, he took balls off his fingers at the plate and on the field multiple times, and he missed time with a neck injury earlier this season. Few players feel 100 percent throughout the entire season, but Biggio has rarely had a chance to.

In Biggio’s place, expect to see more of Santiago Espinal and Breyvic Valera at third base. It’s unlikely that Biggio will be needed much in the outfield when he returns, so he’s expected to stick to third base, with the odd day at second or first. Valera will get the start at third on Tuesday with a righty on the mound, but Espinal has been one of the best stories of the season for the Blue Jays, batting .305 with a .778 OPS while playing strong defense at the hot corner.