Encinitas-Native Riley Adams Makes MLB Debut For Blue Jays

CHICAGO, IL —Encinitas-native Riley Adams did not have much time to get nervous before his Major League Baseball debut with the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday in Chicago.

After a successful start to the season for Triple-A Buffalo, the 24-year-old catcher had been traveling with the Blue Jays recently because their catchers were dealing with some injuries. On Tuesday afternoon, the Blue Jays determined catcher Danny Jansen's hamstring injury required a spell on the 10-day Injured List.

When Adams arrived at Guaranteed Rate Field, the Jays informed him that he was being activated and would be the starting catcher that night.

Immediately, Adams found himself in discussions with Toronto starting pitcher Robbie Ray about how they would approach pitching to the the first-place White Sox. Before long, Adams officially was a Major Leaguer.

"There were some parts that sped up," Adams, who attended Canyon Crest Academy and University of San Diego, told MLB.com. "But having (Ray) out there to help me out, talking with him before the game and just trying to get on the same page with him, he made it a lot easier and a lot nicer to settle down."

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Adams apparently was a good battery-mate, because Ray had his best outing of the season, striking out 13 hitters and pitching 6.1 innings of one-run baseball. Though Toronto's bullpen struggled in the Jays' 6-1 loss.

"I guess (Adams) said he was nervous in the first inning or something, but I didn't see it. He did a nice job and I was impressed with that," Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said.

In the top of the fifth inning, Adams also got his first Major League hit in his second at-bat, doubling to the wall off White Sox starter Carlos Rodón , one of the better pitchers in baseball this season.

"Obviously I've never faced (Rodón) in my life. I know he's got a good fastball and a good hard slider," Adams said. "But I though my first at-bat was good, I just chased the slider at the end and it's a good pitch, I'll tip my cap to him.

"But I think when I got to my second time around, I definitely felt a lot more comfortable, and maybe a little bit less nerves and adrenaline kicking in, so I was able to do something on the baseball."

Adams came off the bench for the Blue Jays the following night and started on Thursday, going 0-for-4 the rest of the series with a walk and run scored.

With Adams' Major League debut a possibility, MLB.com reported that his family had made the trip from California in case the moment arrived. They were in the stands wearing Adams jerseys to see Riley's first night in the bigs.

"Honestly, I had no idea they were going to do anything with jerseys or anything like that," Adams said. "They just showed up and I think there were a few parts of the game I was trying to look for them in the stands. I didn't know they were in any jerseys, I was looking for some Blue Jays stuff."

Adams was the 2017 West Coast Conference Player of the Year for USD and was drafted by Toronto in the 3rd round of that year's Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. MLB.com ranks Adams as the 18th-best prospect in the Jays' system. He had six home runs in just 60 at-bats for Triple-A Buffalo this season.

On Thursday Callum Belshaw, a Blue Jays' reporter for JaysJournal.com, published an article about Adams under the headline: "Riley Adams Has Been Given A Golden Opportunity."

With Blue Jays' catchers struggling this season, Belshaw said a strong performance by Adams could see him solidify a spot with the big club.

"The catching position was a major question mark entering the season, and so far, nobody has stepped up and claimed the starting role," Belshaw wrote. "Because of this, Riley Adams has a fantastic opportunity to become this team's everyday catcher, if he can parlay the success he has had in the minors, to the Major League level."