Amid young team, Semien provides energy

WASHINGTON -- At this point in the season, especially at the end of a nine-game road trip, it is safe to say that the Blue Jays are fatigued. That is to be expected, according to manager Charlie Montoyo, who has to decide whether any of his players need a day off or time to reset -- especially when key members of the team like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. haven’t played a full 162-game season yet. There is one player he doesn’t have to think about, though: Marcus Semien.

Toronto’s second baseman is the only member of the club who has played in every game this season, starting in all but one (on May 1, Semien entered to pinch-hit and stayed in at second base). Semien has been consistently good for the Blue Jays, and Wednesday’s series finale at Nationals Park was no exception. In the 8-5 loss to Washington, he smacked his 28th and 29th home runs of the season, the second of which gave Toronto a one-run lead in the seventh, before the Nationals rallied in the bottom of the inning.

As the leadoff hitter, Semien knows he sets the tone for the offense. On Wednesday, he swung on the first pitch of the game, a hard-hit flyout to left field. While the ball didn’t leave the park that time, he made sure it did in his next at-bat. Both of Semien’s homers were solo knocks.

The veteran signed a one-year, $18 million contract with the Blue Jays in January, hoping to prove that he could be the MVP-caliber player he was for the A's in 2019. Looking at his stats, it looks like he's done just that.

Not only does Semien rank among the top three Toronto players in slugging (.530), home runs (29) and hits (129), he also entered Wednesday trailing only Shohei Ohtani in the American League in extra-base hits (62).

Having a player who is reliable during the dog days of summer is exactly what this Blue Jays team needs. With so many young stars, they needed someone to look up to -- not just physically but mentally.

“We can’t forget, we're still a young team,” Montoyo said. “Going through the first full year, like we just talked about [with Guerrero], it's communicating and staying even-keel and talking to the guys. It's constant communication, and that's part of having a young team.”

The mental aspect of playing 162 games can take a toll on players, especially when the team goes 3-6 on a road trip, dropping a few close games like the two in Washington.

“We are human,” said starting pitcher José Berríos, who allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks. “We know we need to go out there and compete like a team. When we lose, that is the only thing that we can control.”

With an off-day on Thursday ahead of a seven-game homestand, Montoyo knows that rest for his overworked and underperforming bullpen is on the way. It also gives Semien a day off, even if the veteran seems to not want or need one.