ANAHEIM, Calif. – The damage to his neck from an ill-fated leap into the left-field stands at U.S. Cellular Field two years ago is undone now, Nolan Reimold believes, and an opportunity to see how much of his past form he can recapture is before him with the Toronto Blue Jays.
An 0-for-3 in Monday night’s 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels made for a quiet return to the big-leagues for the 30-year-old outfielder, who was claimed off waivers Sunday from the Baltimore Orioles and will be given a chance to play regularly.
Still, there’s achievement in the return itself, with the full payoff for both him and the Blue Jays to be determined by how he fares on the field.
“I haven’t felt normal since back in 2012 – until now,” he said before the game. “It’s the best I’ve felt in a really long time.”
A second-round pick out of Bowling Green in 2009, Reimold made a quick impression in 2009, when he posted an .831 OPS in 104 games. The fourth of his 15 homers in that rookie season came on May 27, a walk-off three-run shot off Brian Wolfe in the 11th inning as the Orioles erased deficits of 8-3 and 10-8 in a 12-10 win, sending the Blue Jays to a ninth-straight loss.
But a run of health problems that suspended his career started that September, when he had surgery on his left Achilles heel. Reimold bounced between triple-A and big-leagues over the next two years as more minor ailments plagued him. Then came the start of his neck woes early in 2012.
Chasing a foul ball, he dove into the stands at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, somersaulted into the seats, slammed his ribs and hit the steps while snapping his neck.
“The next day I had a knot in my back, had it rubbed out, then started having muscle spasms until I finally couldn’t do it anymore,” he recalled. “It was about a two-week process before I was done. The disc was ruptured and I didn’t know that until after the first surgery.”
A pair of epidural injections preceded the surgery but failed to eliminate the tingling in his left arm or help him regain his drained strength. He returned in 2013 only to struggle and learn that his spine never fused properly, leading to the second surgery last July.
“I think, as an athlete, there’s not too much more frustrating than wanting to do something physically and just not being able to do it,” said Reimold. “That’s kind of what I went through for a long time, not only after the surgery, but the residual effects with arm weakness and all of that, just not being able to do what you used to be able to do.
“Good thing for me that a lot of time has gone by, and I’ve had a lot of good results with this second surgery and feeling really good out there. I shouldn’t have any problems and I’m just eager to get started again.”
The Blue Jays are hopeful the injuries haven’t sapped away all his talent.
Assistant general manager Tony LaCava, then with the Cleveland Indians, remembers working out Reimold during his senior year in high school. The field in Kennedy Catholic High School in Hermitage, Penn., wasn’t available so he and area scout Bobby Mayer took him into an open park.
“He was hitting balls over 400 feet,” said LaCava. “He was a big, strong, physical kid. Raw as a baseball player, but a great athlete.”
Reimold ended up in college, but the impression stuck with LaCava, and others remember recall being impressed, too.
“He was dangerous, he had some really good games against us when I was with Kansas City,” said hitting coach Kevin Seitzer. “Short, quick stroke, pop, he just looked dangerous in the box. I haven’t seen him for a couple of years now because he’s been hurt. We’ll see what he looks like.”
That’s the caveat – what will he look like?
The Orioles designated him for assignment when he returned from the disabled list and he was crowded out of their outfield. He posted a .902 OPS in 17 games on a rehab assignment at double-A Bowie but things get real now
“I think I’ve got a lot left to give, even with these injuries,” Reimold said. “I never got the opportunity to reach my potential because I definitely got derailed. Those are all behind me and in the past. I’m just looking forward to the future and getting out on the field again.”