Troy Tulowitzki's turnaround big reason for Blue Jays' success
31-year-old has been one of MLB's best since DL stint
At long last, Troy Tulowitzki has rediscovered his swagger.
The five-time all-star sputtered to start the 2016 campaign, hitting just .165 with five home runs and 13 RBIs in the first 32 games of the year.
The last 31 games have been the complete reverse.
Tulowitzki has hit .311 while smacking 10 home runs with 30 RBIs over that span. What's more, July has certainly been kind to the Santa Clara, Calif., native as he is hitting .414 over the first seven games of the month.
Tulowitzki's hot bat adds to an already potent Blue Jays lineup which has now propelled the team to wins in eight of its last 10 games, including six straight.
The Jays shortstop has not only been hitting well — he's also been hitting well in the clutch. The most recent example came with his tie-breaking RBI single in the eighth inning to give the Blue Jays a thrilling 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday.
Earlier in the season, the 31-year old was dealing with nagging injuries and was sent to the disabled list on May 28 with a strained right quad. Prior to his stint on the DL, Tulowitzki was batting just .208 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs in 84 at bats.
Clearly the rest was exactly what he needed. Since his activation on June 18, Tulowitzki has been one of the best shortstops in baseball. The two-time Gold Glove award winner ranks first among American League shortshops in home runs (seven), RBIs (20) and on-base-percentage (.395) since his return.
Initial struggles
The offensive surge is a welcome sight to Blue Jays fans who were skeptical as Tulowitzki didn't initially impress at the plate after he was acquired from the Colorado Rockies on July 28, 2015.
Widely regarded as one of the game's best-hitting shortstops upon his arrival, Tulowitzki hit only .239 with the Jays in 2015, managing just 17 RBIs in 31 regular-season games. His post-season campaign only further frustrated the fan base as he hit a sub-par .205 in 44 plate appearances.
Both figures were well below his career average of .293.
Prior to Friday's contest against the Tigers, the Blue Jays (49-39) sit in second in the American League East division, two games back of the first-place Baltimore Orioles.