Clement -- 'a hockey player at heart' -- blasts big HR to get revenge for HBP

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Ernie Clement was out for revenge against baseballs. Any baseball.

On Monday in Lakeland, Clement took a 91.3 mph pitch to the face. He left the field in a hurry with the Blue Jays¡¯ training staff, a towel held to his face. It was a scary scene.

On Thursday, back in Dunedin, Clement got his first look at a baseball since then. He launched it over the center-field wall, over the concourse and completely out of TD Ballpark during Toronto's 7-4 win over the Red Sox.

¡°They hurt when they hit you in the face,¡± Clement said. ¡°And it hurts when you hit them over the fence for the other guys. I guess I had to get a little bit of revenge there.¡±

Clement has bounced back quickly from Monday's ¡°lip laceration and contusion,¡± which left him with some serious swelling around his mouth. When the pitch hit Clement, his mouth went numb and he could feel the blood coming out almost immediately, so he started to feel around for his teeth. He was sure he¡¯d lost a few.

¡°Oh yeah. Squared up the chiclets pretty good,¡± Clement said.

Clement has become a clubhouse favorite in Toronto for his personality as much as his playing style, so once the diagnosis came down that there was no concussion -- and all of those chiclets were accounted for -- everyone knew he¡¯d be back quicker than expected.

¡°He¡¯s a hockey player at heart,¡± manager John Schneider said Wednesday.

Clement said that he¡¯s taken a few high sticks in his day, particularly in the men¡¯s leagues he plays in over the offseason.

¡°He¡¯s not fazed. Ernie is wired a little different,¡± said starter Chris Bassitt.

Now that Clement has dodged that bullet -- ¡°almost a literal bullet,¡± as Schneider put it -- he can finish off a normal camp. This one is so different for Clement, who spent much of spring 2024 competing for a roster spot, but ended up appearing in 139 games. He put up a .692 OPS, was a finalist for the Gold Glove Award at third base and was worth 2.2 wins above replacement (per FanGraphs). He was a bright spot in a season that needed some.

This time, Clement is preparing for more of the same. He¡¯s worked to add some good weight and adjusted his training, focusing more on proper recovery than he has in the past to help himself hold up to the grind of 162 games. He¡¯s not trying to coast into a job, though. That 2024 mentality hasn¡¯t left Clement.

¡°That¡¯s still the mindset, especially with where I¡¯m at,¡± Clement said. ¡°I¡¯m not taking anything for granted. I¡¯m going out there trying to make a team and show them that I can make an impact all year. There are times I can work on things, which is great, but I still have the same mindset. I¡¯m trying to make this team.¡±

Clement shouldn¡¯t have any trouble with that. He¡¯s still got all of his teeth, and now, he¡¯s got a little revenge.