Toronto Blue Jays third base Justin Turner hits a double against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning at Rogers Centre in Toronto on April 9.Nick Turchiaro/Reuters
On Justin Turner’s first day in Toronto as a Blue Jay, he did something many Canadians also did: He grabbed coffee from Tim Hortons.
His wife prompted him to post the medium vanilla latte made with oat milk on social media with the caption, “Am I doing this right?” alongside the Canada flag emoji. He enjoyed his first drink from the chain so much, he returned the next day to get the same order.
“Tim Hortons is obviously a Canadian staple,” Turner said. “My wife is more in tune with some of the stuff than I am, so she was like, ‘You should definitely post a picture of this.’ … As usual, she was right.”
Turner had only been in the city for a few days when the Blue Jays returned from their 10-game trip to begin the season. As a result, he never had the chance to see the clubhouse before the day of the home opener or take a real tour around town. The only other time he was in Toronto as a member of the Blue Jays was when he came for his physical.
Yet, he had heard positive things about Toronto long before he signed his one-year deal with the club in early February.
Former Jays starting pitcher Ricky Romero, who played in Toronto from 2009 to 2013, was his roommate in college at Cal State Fullerton. The two kept in contact despite parting ways when they entered the major leagues. Romero told Turner about how much he loved playing in Toronto.
“I’m still getting used to it, but I know it’s a great city,” the 39-year-old said. “I know everyone loves being a part of this community, so I’m looking forward to learning more about it.”
His biggest shock thus far? The traffic.
“Oh, man … there is way more than I anticipated,” he said.
Despite the long-time veteran still adjusting to the city, he’s already found his footing in the Jays lineup. Through 10 games, Turner, primarily batting cleanup, led the Jays in several offensive categories, including batting average, on-base plus slugging percentage, doubles, and was tied with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with a team-high seven runs.
His steady and stable presence in the order was what the Jays were looking for when they signed him in the off-season.
He exemplified his experience in the batter’s box when he nearly knocked a ball over the left-field wall and jogged into second base for a stand-up double in the Jays’ home opener. His wife and mother-in-law cheered alongside the sellout crowd at the new-look Rogers Centre.
Two outs later, Alejandro Kirk brought him home with a single to left to give the Jays the first lead of the night. After that run, Toronto never looked back from the driver’s seat and cruised to a 5-2 win.
“I’m just hoping to bring consistency,” he said. “I know I’m not going to get a hit every time, but I want to make sure I’m a tough out and make pitchers work. … Hopefully, that’s contagious.”
The Jays also hope his approach will rub off on the other guys in the clubhouse.
“He has a plan with every single at-bat, every single pitch and you can see that when you play against him,” Jays manager John Schneider said. “Hearing him talk to the other guys and hearing him in meetings, I think has been really beneficial. Then, what he’s done on the field has been really productive.”
Turner is a former World Series champion and National League Championship Series MVP with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Throughout his career, he had a “few close encounters” with the Jays in free agency before joining this winter – most notably before the 2021 season when Toronto management elected to go with Marcus Semien instead.
“[He’s a guy] who’s been there and done that,” Schneider said. “I think on any good team, you have a mix of guys like that, and you have guys that are hungry to get there.”
Before joining the team for spring training, Turner was unfamiliar with most of the players. He was teammates with Mitch White and Yimi Garcia in Los Angeles, but the extent of his other knowledge of the Jays’ roster came from playing against them.
Yet, he said his transition into the clubhouse has been seamless.
“It’s a great group, a lot of great energy,” he said. “Honestly, it’s been easy so far just fitting in with the guys and getting to know everyone.”
When the California native sought a new team in free agency, he prioritized destinations and the chance to compete for a championship. In Toronto, he believes he has both.
Despite the Blue Jays’ shaky start in the first 10 games, Turner acknowledged the long season ahead. Like any other baseball season, the year may have twists and turns – some he may not see coming.
But he knows he’s enjoying being a Blue Jay and will probably make more trips to Tim Hortons.
“I’ve been playing for a long time, and the bottom line is, when you get in between the lines, it’s the same game of baseball no matter where you’re at,” he said. “It’s about getting to know the guys and spending time with them.”