Blue Jays manager explains Kazuma Okamoto's day off after 21 hitless at-bats

Kazuma Okamoto is out of the Blue Jays' starting lineup Wednesday, with manager John Schneider giving the rookie third baseman a step back from everyday duty after a rough stretch, per Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling.

"I think it'll be good for him," Schneider said.

Okamoto entered Wednesday hitless in his last 21 plate appearances and has committed errors in three of his last six games, a rough two-way stretch that lines up with the decision to sit him. The throwing miscues have shown up mostly on routine plays around the infield, adding a defensive wrinkle to a slump that had already been building at the plate.

It's not the first time this season that Toronto has used a scheduled reset to get its rookie right; a lengthy slump in mid-May prompted a similar day off, with Okamoto heading back into everyday action after that.

The third baseman has been a mainstay in the Blue Jays lineup since Opening Day, when he took over the position after signing with the team out of Nippon Professional Baseball, where he starred for the Yomiuri Giants. Schneider has praised his all-around game throughout the season, describing him as a hitter first and a power hitter second, as well as someone who can shift roles depending on the matchup rather than selling out for one approach.

Schneider indicated that Okamoto will be available off the bench Wednesday, keeping him in play as a pinch-hit option late in the game if Toronto needs one. The Blue Jays' 2024 4th-round draft pick, Sean Keys, is taking over for Okamoto at the hot corner, batting eighth.

Toronto has won just one game since the All-Star break and is in the middle of an American League East series against the first-place Rays, followed by another tough test in the red-hot Boston Red Sox on Friday.

With there being a limited number of games left and the trade deadline looming, the Blue Jays do not have the luxury of easing Okamoto back slowly. Getting his bat and glove right figures to matter as much as any day off.

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