'Unbelievable play': Blue Jays' Varsho makes stunning, backhanded catch in season debut

Daulton Varsho and his Gold Glove defence are back in the Toronto Blue Jays' outfield.

Hours after being activated off the injured list, Varsho turned in a highlight-reel catch at the base of the wall in centre-field in his season debut.

Varsho was retreating to the wall in centre on a one-out drive by Boston's Jarren Duran in the fourth inning of Tuesday's night 10-2 loss to Boston when he lost his balance as he reached the warning track, falling and rolling over. Able to get back up on one knee, and with his back turned to home plate, Varsho had the presence of mind to stick out his glove and make a remarkable catch.

"When I fell, I was like, 'Oh boy, it's going to be somewhat near me,"' Varsho said. "I saw it kind of really quick and kind of stuck my glove out."

Blue Jays manager John Schneider was initially worried the tumble might damage Varsho's right shoulder, which he had surgery on last September. Varsho said he was fine.

Boston's Alex Bregman called it "one of the best catches I've ever seen in my life."

"I wish he wouldn't have [caught it] because it would have been a nice triple for Jarren, but you've got to tip your hat to him there," Bregman said. "That was an unbelievable play."

Varsho won his first Gold Glove award with Toronto last season, when he hit .214 with 18 homers and 58 runs batted in. The 28-year-old missed the start of this season while recovering from surgery. He's a career .225 hitter with a .414 slugging percentage and 79 homers over five seasons in Arizona and Toronto.

Beloved in clubhouse

He was second on Toronto in Wins Above Replacement last year, a statistic that attempts to measure a player's overall impact on a team including defence. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led the Blue Jays with a 6.2 WAR and Varsho was 5.0.

The 28-year-old former catcher has become one of the most beloved players in Toronto's clubhouse.

"Everybody was really happy," said Varsho on returning to Rogers Centre. "Got to see a couple guys yesterday, which was good.

"Happy to be back after a long rehab process."

Also Tuesday, the Blue Jays activated right-hander Casey Lawrence a day after claiming him off waivers from Seattle. Right-hander Paxton Schultz and infielder Will Wagner were optioned to triple-A Buffalo.

Schneider said right-handed reliever Erik Swanson (carpal tunnel syndrome) would pitch for the single-A Dunedin Blue Jays later Tuesday. Righty Ryan Burr (right shoulder inflammation) faced live batters earlier in the day/

Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer threw off the mound Tuesday for the second time as he works toward a return from thumb inflammation.