There was so much to ask Christian Arroyo since we last saw him leave the Yankee Stadium field July 18.
First off, there was the split executed by Arroyo in his very first game giving first base a whirl. That, of course, paved the way for a hamstring-induced injured list stint that is just coming to an end.
As it turns out, Arroyo said he was not attempting to go all Steve Pearce in reaching out to reel in one of his first attempts at the new position.
"I was talking to Alex about it yesterday. It was one of those things where, I mean, it doesn’t really matter what you do. Like the entire first base was soaked from the rain," Arroyo explained. "It rained the day before, so it’s one of those things where I was trying to make a play and my foot literally slipped out from under me. If you watch the video, you can see it. Because I went to stop, thought my heel would catch and it didn’t. It just keeps going …”
“I wasn’t trying to do a full split. I’m not that dumb. I’m a pretty nimble guy for my size I would say, but no, I was definitely not trying go USA gymnastics at first base at Yankee Stadium.”
Prior to that display of athleticism, Arroyo had already left his mark with a few smooth moves on home run trots. The Arroyo Euro step had become an inadvertent signature part of the infielder's celebration.
It turns out that while Arroyo is a big NBA fan -- growing up cheering for Tracy McGrady -- the explanation for the move was a bit more simple than one might expect.
"There is really no origin of it," he told WEEI.com. "I don't know if it is a rhythm thing. Around third I've always done this little thing. I just got caught up in the moment and kind of blacked out. I don't even really remember it, to be honest. Don't expect too much. I do what I've got to do it. I love the NBA, but ..."
The good news for Arroyo is that it appears he will be getting a chance to circle the major league bases again soon.
Arroyo is slated to head out on a minor-league rehab assignment Tuesday. For the Red Sox, getting back the player who had solidified second base with a .271 batting average and .792 OPS and superior defense will be a huge step in the right direction.
“I think that’s kind of what it is," explained Arroyo, whose season has been a series of stops and starts due to injuries. "I think my mental state, I’ve just been trying to stay positive as much as I can because again, you get hit in the hand twice, there’s not really much you can do. And then Kike and I running into each other, like there’s really not much you can do when you play the game hard. That last one, it kind of stunk just because again, it’s like … that’s all I got. I really can’t say much about it. It’s not like I was running and I’m out of shape or something and then all of a sudden I blow a hammy running. It’s just one of those things that stinks.
"I’ve been happy with it, but obviously, I’m a baseball player. I’m a competitor. I want to play. Especially now with the tough stretch we’ve been going through, it stinks even more. But that’s part of it. That’s why you got 25 other guys, that’s why you got an entire roster. It’s not ‘I’ game. I’m confident in our guys though. Every single one of them in that clubhouse, I think we’re going to turn it around. I think we’ll be fine. Yeah, I’m just looking forward to getting back.”