KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna says he is out of sorts mentally, feeling “anxious” and “weird.” And that is why he was unavailable to pitch Friday.
“I really don’t know how to explain it. … I feel like I’m lost a little bit right now,” he said before the Blue Jay’s 3-2 loss to the Royals on Saturday, a game in which Osuna also did not pitch.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons did not use the 22-year-old reliever Friday when the Royals scored four runs in the ninth off three relievers to win 5-4. Gibbons says Osuna was “just not feeling well.” He did not elaborate.
“I feel great physically. It’s just more mentally,” Osuna said through an interpreter. “I feel a little bit anxious, a little bit weird. I feel like I’m not myself right now.”
He says he has never experienced this sensation before during his career. Paddy Steinford, the Blue Jays’ mental performance coach who travels with the team, has been working with Osuna to overcome his anxiety.
“This has nothing to do with me being on the field,” Osuna said. “I feel great out there. It’s just when I’m not on the field that I feel weird and a little bit lost. I wish I knew how to get out of this. We’re working on it. We’re trying to find ways to make me feel better. But, to be honest, I just don’t know.
Osuna has 19 saves this season and is the youngest player in major league history to record 75 saves. He was uncertain whether he could pitch Saturday.
“I’m going to try, but nothing is for sure,” he said. “We’ll see.”