23-year-old Daz Cameron whistled and exhaled when asked about his experience with COVID-19.
“To be in this moment right now, to be thinking about went on at the time when I was going through the virus – because I did have it – just to be right here, it means a lot,” Cameron said. “I’ll never forget this day.”
By here, Cameron was referring to Detroit, where he’ll make his Major League debut Wednesday for the Tigers. He was also referring to the literal present, to right now, to this moment in time he wasn’t sure he’d live to see.
One of the Tigers’ top prospects, Cameron came down with COVID-19 upon reporting to Comerica Park for summer camp in early July. Many of his teammates spent the next month in the hotel at the Motor City Casino. Cameron was quarantined in a room on the third floor, stuck in a sick ward with other members of the organization.
None of them were hit by the virus like Cameron.
“You never (think) you’ll go through actual coronavirus until you get it, and then you realize how bad it can be. I actually had seasonal allergies growing up as a kid, so when coronavirus hit me it pushed me to a stage where I was having every symptom of it.
“I’ll tell you the truth, man: I’m just glad and thankful just to be here and be blessed, because I actually got pneumonia. I got a virus on top of a virus. So it was tough, but I’m glad to be here now.”
Cameron called it a ‘life-changing’ ordeal. He said a lot of his symptoms were ‘definitely life-threatening.’ He said he tries not to spend too much time thinking about it now, but added, “I’m not going to sit here and say I didn’t think about how it could have definitely led me to different medical conditions.”
“Just a mind-blowing experience for me and my family,” Cameron said.
That’s right, his family. Cameron comes from good baseball stock. His father, Mike Cameron, was an All-Star and three-time Gold Glover over a 17-year big-league career. You might remember him for his spectacular catches in centerfield. His son boasts many of the same athletic qualities.
Cameron’s speed and his defense are his two best attributes. His bat is still coming along, but he did pop 13 homers last season in Triple-A where he was considerably young for his age. The Tigers summoned Cameron to Detroit to replace the struggling Christin Stewart in hopes he can give their playoff push a boost.
Detroit entered play Wednesday one game behind the Yankees for the final AL playoff spot.
“I’m ready,” Cameron said. “I’m just ready to be here and contribute to the team and just be myself and help these guys win ballgames. That’s my main goal, and to be a good teammate and try to win. That’s the main focus here and I’m ready to get things started.”
Cameron ranks No. 7 among the Tigers’ top 30 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. He hasn’t appeared in an actual game since spring training, but Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said Wednesday morning that Cameron was drawing rave reviews at the team’s alternate training site in Toledo.
“Talking to my bosses, that’s the guy that has been swinging very well down there,” Gardenhire said. “He’s healthy and doing well, and it’s time to see what he can do up here. He’s gone through an awful lot this year and he’s battled his way through it. Looks great, looks strong and like I said, they say he’s swinging good.
“So we’ll give him a shot up here and see what happens. He’s in the lineup (Wednesday) and we’re excited about it. He has a big smile on his face. Another one of the guys we’ve talked about for a long time.”
A first-round pick of the Astros in 2015, Cameron came to Detroit in 2017 via the trade that sent the Tigers’ rebuild into motion. He was billed as a raw, athletic prospect at the time, and for the most part he’s lived up to it. He has 73 stolen bases – and a bevy of highlight-reel catches – over the last three seasons.
Now he has a chance to show his talents in the majors, just a couple miles from the hotel where he wasn’t sure this day would ever arrive.
“Man, I’m telling you right now, it’s still surreal,” Cameron said. “I got the call last night from (Tigers VP of player development) Dave Littelfield and he told me that I was going to the big leagues. I’m just glad to be here and I can’t wait to just get things started.”