Toronto Blue Jays' Will Wagner, right, hits an RBI single during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jayne-Kamin-Oncea)
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – Will Wagner was inserted into the Toronto Blue Jays lineup at second base and batting sixth for his major league debut Monday against the Los Angeles Angels.
The son of former left-handed pitcher Billy Wagner, a seven-time All-Star and a member of the Houston Astros Hall of Fame, the younger Wagner was called up to the Blue Jays from Triple-A Buffalo, while infielder Luis De Los Santos was optioned.
Billy Wagner was quick to offer his son advice for the big day.
“He just said to relax and be present and have fun with everything,” Will Wagner said. “It’s just a game and have fun.”
Wagner lined the first pitch he saw, a second-inning fastball from Angels right-hander Davis Daniel, into the right-center field gap for a double. In his second plate appearance, he hit an RBI single.
Wagner was acquired by the Blue Jays on July 29 in a three-player package that sent left-hander Yusei Kikuchi to Houston. The move came on Wagner’s 26th birthday.
Wagner is primarily a second baseman with experience at first and third base. Offensively, he is known as a line-drive hitter with 25 home runs in 290 minor league games.
“Everyone, when they talk about him they say, “˜OK, he’s just a baseball player,’ and those guys usually find their way to do pretty well,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “A lot of contact, hits the ball hard, really smart in-game decisions.”
Schneider plans to use Wagner primarily at second base, with some opportunities to play third, and have him in the lineup regularly for the remainder of the season.
The roster move was made after Wagner played just seven games at Triple-A Buffalo following the trade. In 77 combined games at Triple-A for both Sugar Land and Buffalo, he batted .315 with six home runs and 43 RBIs.
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