Taking It to the Next Level

Yangervis Solarte is one of those "fly under the radar" guys. Making the majors in 2014 as Alex Rodriguez' fill-in with the Yankees, he brought talent and enthusiasm to an awkaward situation in the Bronx. Then, when the organization decided that the veteran Chase Headley was a better alternative (a move that, in retrospect, deserves to be questioned), he had the time to develop as a Padre. Sent to the Blue Jays in a winter deal that didn't draw much attention, he's filled in more than capably for Josh Donaldson at 3rd base. Thursday, the Venezuela native grabbed a headline.
He homered in both ends of a doubleheader -- his 11th inning grand slam (and 5th hit of the game) gave Toronto the lead for keeps; he homered again in the nightcap (and had two other hits). All told, he totaled eight hits and 7 RBI on the day.
Now, with Donaldson returning from the Disabled List, Solarte will likely shift to 2nd base.
There's also the "human interest story" angle on Solarte. He spent nine years drifting through several organizations before finally making his big league debut at age 26. On top of that, he maintained a career during a personal tragedy, losing his wife to cancer two years ago, leaving him with three small kids.
While the Yankees and Red Sox draw most of the attention in the AL East, the Blue Jays, with a mix of solid veterans and impressive kids (and more in the pipeline) are legitiate contenders in their own right.

(These images of Solarte are from the Yankees/Blue Jays game on April 21st.)