Veteran Grilli hoping to make an impact with struggling Blue Jays bullpen

TORONTO – Jason Grilli has always prided himself on getting back up when he’s been knocked down.

That’s a good thing considering the newest member of the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen has been knocked down more than most.

The 14-year major-league veteran has had two elbow surgeries, including a Tommy John procedure that took him out of the entire 2002 minor-league campaign, a knee injury that resulted in a torn quadriceps in 2010, and a ruptured Achillies tendon, which he suffered last year when tripping to cover first base on a ground ball.

“That’s the all-star lineup of injuries. I don’t want anymore,” Grilli said with a laugh in the Blue Jays dugout before Wednesday’s game against the New York Yankees.

The 39-year-old right-hander struggled out of the gate this season, going 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA and two saves with the Atlanta Braves before being traded to Toronto on Tuesday. Grilli’s 2015 season ended with the Achilles tear on July 11, leaving him with 24 saves and a 2.94 ERA in 36 games.

While Grilli wouldn’t use his latest injury as an excuse for his poor start to the year, he did admit it effected him early on.

“I’m not even a year out of surgery yet,” Grilli said. “Trying to regain form and feel, I don’t want to say it as an alibi or an excuse but I think it’s a reason. I don’t think many people had me pegged to make Opening Day. I worked my butt off to get there.

“It’s just who I am and what I’m about — the comeback — I’ve been good at that. …I love and respect this game so much that I want the jersey to be ripped off me when I want it to be ripped off, not when something like that (Achilles injury) can end your career.

“I’ve had a few big scares in my career and people didn’t think I’d be back. I don’t think the Braves had me in their frontline anyways because I got limited time in spring training, I could see that my role was changing and I accepted what was happening there. I just wanted to get my innings knowing that I could be traded to a contending team. And here I am.”

Grilli joins a Toronto bullpen that’s among the league’s worst.

The Blue Jays’ relief corps is tied with Cincinnati for the most losses (14), have allowed 41 per cent of inherited runners to score (third worst in the majors), and own the sixth-worst batting average against (.259).

Drew Storen and Jesse Chavez, both acquired in off-season trades to shore up Toronto’s bullpen, have yet to meet expectations, leaving the Jays with Rule-5 pick Joe Biagini and young Roberto Osuna as their most reliable relievers to date.

Biagini has been saddled with the eighth-inning job lately while Osuna remains the club’s closer.

Manager John Gibbons said before Wednesday’s game that the plan is to use Grilli in the later innings.

He also said Grilli’s leadership and experience could be an asset, especially among the younger arms in the ‘pen.

“We’ve got some proven veterans down there and that always helps,” Gibbons said. “They’ve been through it before. Veterans know how to survive. … We’ll give him an opportunity. Maybe he’s just what we need.”

Grilli hopes that’s the case.

“I’m not a soap-box guy where I have to rah-rah and give an unbelievable speech in front of a podium,” he said. “You definitely lead by example, you pick your spots. … It’s not always baseball-related. Sometimes it’s just being a good friend or a good teammate.”

Grilli, who’s father pitched briefly for the Blue Jays in 1979, is happy to be getting a chance with a contending team.

“It was getting tough being in a rebuild mode (with Atlanta) rather than having the goal to win,” he said. “That’s tough for a guy that’s 39 years young.”

“I feel like that old penny that keeps getting recirculated. This is team No. 12,” Grilli added before pausing to laugh. “I’m very excited about being here with all these guys.”