For the first time this season, Melvin Rodriguez put on catcher’s gear and squatted behind the plate Wednesday for the Slammers.
The ninth-inning contribution was another example of what the 25-year-old from Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico, is willing to do for the club that signed him after he was released in spring training by the Washington Nationals.
“I do whatever,” Rodriguez said. “I just want to be in the lineup. I just want to play.”
Rodriguez proved he was a team player July 17 against the Florence Freedom at Silver Cross Field. He crashed into the right-field wall as he tried to make an inning-ending catch and needed five stitches to close a cut on his right eyebrow.
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“It was not bad,” Rodriguez said. “I just want to catch the ball in that situation. Bases loaded, two outs. I work hard every day, run hard. I just want to play hard for them, and keep winning.”
Joliet (37-30) lost 11-5 to Normal on Wednesday, its second straight defeat after a seven-game win streak. The CornBelters (35-32) won their sixth in a row and have a Frontier League-best 75 home runs, including two more on Wednesday.
The Slammers outhit Normal 12-11, but stranded 11 runners.
“Twice we had bases loaded and no outs,” Rodriguez said. “We didn’t get the hit, didn’t get that sacrifice fly we always do. We didn’t move the ball. We did, just not at the right time, right moment.”
The versatile Rodriguez, who’s batting .250, has had plenty of good moments in the 50 games he’s started. He has been the designated hitter and played right field, left field, second base and now catcher to spell Casey Fletcher and Joe Staley.
“He’s a guy who leaves it on the field,” Joliet manager Jeff Isom said. “He’s a baseball player, and that’s a compliment. I don’t use that term with a whole lot of guys.
“He put his body out there and got banged up. I put him right back out there a couple days later and he was ready to go run down balls and not worried about the wall.”
Rodriguez also isn’t worried about the bumps and bruises that come with being behind the plate.
“It’s not that hard for me,” he said. “Framing and getting the pitches, throwing to second, I think I’m good at that. I just need some playing time behind the plate. I want to play and don’t take days off.”
The Jackson State product hit .422 in his senior season and was the Player of the Year in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. He was drafted in 2015 by the Nationals in the 18th round.
“It was a good experience,” Rodriguez said. “They drafted a lot of infielders and I was a summer signing. I was the oldest. I was in the last cut.”
Isom said he received a call from Rodriguez’s agent “10 minutes after he got released” by the Nationals.
“It was a no-brainer for me, especially guys who can play multiple positions,” Isom said. “We’ve had him in the infield and the outfield and now we’re experimenting with him at catcher. He does a good job.”
A month remains in the regular league season. If the standing remain the same, division leaders Joliet and Southern Illinois, along with West Division members Evansville and Normal would make the postseason.
“I think we’re really good,” Rodriguez said. “We have to cut the walks. We have to cut the errors. If we play small ball, like championship teams, we’re going to do good.”
Tim Tierney is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.
Up next: Normal (Chris Carmain 4-6) at Slammers (Sean Townsley 4-5), 7:05 p.m. Thursday.