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With a Grueling Stretch Ahead, Blue Jays' Hatch Plays a Key Role

Originally posted on FanNation Inside The Blue Jays
By Ethan Diamandas | Last updated 7/26/21

It took 300 days, but No. 31 finally returned to the mound for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Starter Thomas Hatch, in his first appearance of the season after suffering an elbow impingement in Spring Training, attacked Red Sox hitters in the first inning at Fenway Park.

Command is the right-hander's biggest strength and he filled up the zone with fastballs early. But his control quickly faded and he fell behind hitters to start the second—allowing the first four batters to reach base. Hatch didn't throw a single changeup until well into the second inning—an odd development, considering he used that pitch 25% of the time in 2020.

Hatch escaped the second with just two runs allowed, but gave up a solo homer to Rafael Devers in the third. His night was done after 4 1/3 innings and 73 pitches. Hatch's final line wasn't super impressive—three earned on seven hits, one walk and four strikeouts— but he worked out of some tough spots and Toronto's offense picked him up.

On offense, Bo Bichette flipped a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead with a smoking line drive over the Green Monster in left.

That lead was intact until the eighth inning, when Jays reliever Trevor Richards walked Hunter Renfroe and fell behind Alex Verdugo. The Red Sox left fielder extended his arms on a 3-1 count and ripped a two-run home just beyond the Boston bullpen. The score held, as Toronto lost 5-4.

The bullpen faltered for the umpteenth time in the loss, but getting Hatch going is a big deal for this Toronto pitching staff that could use an in-house upgrade. In 2020, the 26-year-old showed excellent command, forced weak contact, and finished up with a tidy 2.73 ERA. In 26 1/3 innings, nearly all out of the bullpen, Hatch allowed only two home runs—an important statistic given Blue Jays' pitchers proclivity to allow longballs (1.45 HR/9 in 2021, 25th in MLB).

What's Hatch's role going forward?

With 21 games in the next 20 days, including doubleheaders on August 7 and August 10, Hatch's versatility as both a starter and a reliever is helpful. Right now, Toronto is considering all kinds of strategies to help its pitchers manage the stretch ahead, including the possibility of a six-man rotation.

"We're trying to do what we can to make sure guys are fresh," Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker said on Sunday.

"It's that part of the season where it's getting a little long for some guys, and just making sure that they continue to stay fresh. So there's a possibility we have different different plans in place. Obviously it all depends on probably the next few games. But yeah, we do have the possibility of adding a starter (to the rotation)."

If the Blue Jays elect to mix in a sixth starter over the next week or so, Hatch is the logical choice.

Why is this series so important?

It's cliché to label every series against a divisional opponent as "critical," but this four-game set against Boston is important. With the trade deadline on Friday and the Blue Jays grasping for valuable games in a tight playoff race, the next three games, win or lose, are sure to influence Toronto's aggressiveness on July 30.

The Blue Jays are looking to add—Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro have made that clear—but, come Friday, the team's distance from playoff position will influence exactly how much added talent the front office pours into this season.

This article first appeared on FanNation Inside The Blue Jays and was syndicated with permission.

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