Blaze Jordan talks taking 97 MPH to the face: 'Adjusting' to getting comfortable in box again
Portland Sea Dogs infielder Blaze Jordan has had quite a bit of bad luck this season with his two injuries he suffered.
The first injury was a freak accident where he fractured his left ring finger on a play when he slid into home plate. That injury held him out of action for a month.
The second injury occurred when a 97 MPH fastball hit Jordan in the face that broke his nose and made his cheek swell up. That injury held him out of action for only two weeks. The latest injury was an example of yet another freak accident that unfortunately caused him to miss more time.
“I approached that at-bat knowing the pitcher was going with a sinker inside on me,” Jordan said of the latest battle with an injury. “Next thing I saw was a heater coming for my face and I did not have enough time to get out of the way. I was really fortunate that it was not worse than what it was. It caught some of my helmet and hit my cheek and broke some of my nose. I was able to come back in two weeks and was just happy to be back out here with my guys. It was definitely an adjustment to be back in the box after the last at-bat getting hit in the face. I feel like I am adjusting pretty well and just happy to be back out there.”
It shouldn’t be a surprise that someone would be a little timid the next time they step in the box after the incident, and Jordan is no different in that aspect.
“I was a little bit jumpy at first on some inside pitches or even just heaters in general,” Jordan said. “I have to get used to the C-flap that I am wearing since I have never worn that in my life. I feel like after the first few games it has been different, but I feel like I have adjusted pretty well so far.”
After being hit in the face, it was tough to predict just how much time Jordan would be missing when he was in the moment. Jordan had the same exact thought when he was laying on the ground."
“That first question I had when I was down on the ground was if my eye was fine or not,” Jordan said. “As long as my eye was fine, I knew I was going to be alright. I knew it broke my nose but my eye was the biggest thing for me so I could come back as soon as I could. I wanted to come back sooner than I actually was allowed to because I wanted to be back out there with these guys. I was really fortunate to come back and only miss two weeks and help these guy with this playoff push.”
Portland has seen quite a few big name prospects come and go off their team this season. With Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer all moved on to Triple-A, there is room in the lineup for guys to step up and show off their leadership in a younger locker room.
“I tried to hold the leadership role even when the top guys were here since I was here the longest,” Jordan added. “I knew the ins and outs of everything, and we all fed off of each other. We have a great young group now with Garcia, Castro, and Romero coming right in and it felt like we really didn’t miss a beat. It is crazy to think about how young they all are. They have adjusted very well so far and have been a lot of fun to be around.”
During the past offseason, Jordan was very vocal about committing himself to getting his body right and being a healthy version of himself for 2024.
How did the healthier version feel compared to last season?
“I feel better overall and feel fresh every day,” Jordan said. “Going on the IL did give me some extra rest too, but my body is holding my strength with how I wanted it to. I still feel like I am making improvements at third and first base on both sides of the ball. This whole offseason I am going to work on getting really strong and translating it to next year.”
