Q. As you got closer to being ready -- and I know you were disappointed that the Wild Card Series, you weren't ready in time for that. Was it to the end whether or not you would be -- did you need that last workout to know that you were going to get activated for this?
COLT KEITH: Yeah. I've -- up until after the Cleveland series, I hadn't taken BP on the field or anything like that yet. I took live BP when we first came here versus Paddack and Sewald and just made sure that I was able to go in there and take real game-like swings and game-like takes without aggravating it. And it felt good, so we went ahead with it.
Q. Just to follow up real quick, was there nerves in that last workout then, like this is it, this is my audition, my physical audition?
COLT KEITH: Well, not many nerves there. The nerves I had were going to Cleveland just because -- well, I knew I wasn't going to be activated there, but once I watched the boys play in a playoff game, all the nerves were gone, and I was ready to get out there and help the team, so I was just more excited.
Q. How good did it feel to come right up and get a base hit after missing some time?
COLT KEITH: Yeah. It was great. I was really happy with how I was seeing the ball, and I was happy with my body physically, with how it felt to get a swing off and hit a ball hard for the team. And it's always good to start off good like that, and hopefully I can keep that going.
Q. How much are you kind of still managing some pain or soreness at this point?
COLT KEITH: Yeah. I've got a lot of meds in my body, and we're still doing rehab daily to keep progressing my injury, but I'm good enough to go out there and give competitive at-bats and get my A swing off, and I can still help the team in the box.
Q. Colt, just a question on this season for you. You're drawing more walks. You're hitting the ball hard. What do you think has led to both of those advancements for you this year going from year one to year two in the big leagues?
COLT KEITH: I think there's a lot of factors, the main one just being able to slow the game down. Still going fast at times, and I get sped up at times, but, you know, come this year, come June, July versus last year June, July, it was a lot more calm, a lot more -- a lot better at-bats, not giving at-bats away, just a lot more calmness and able to go out there and execute a plan.
Q. Hey, Colt. Where are you from a fielding and throwing perspective right now as it relates to your injury?
COLT KEITH: I think I'm able to field and throw. I'm throwing a throwing program still, but me and A.J. kind of talked about it. The risk of me going out there and kind of diving or taking a weird ground ball and re-aggravating it -- it's a little too high. So I think the way I can help the team right now is in the box.
I'm still able to go out there and field if he needs me to. I think that's kind of up to A.J. if the game goes that way. But I'm ready to go out there and field. But I think with the way our roster's put together, I'm probably going to be in the DH role until further notice.
Q. Colt, I'm curious, having gone through the postseason last year and those big at-bats, what did you learn from that process and what have you been able to take into your postseason at-bats this year?
COLT KEITH: Yeah. I think a lot of times last year I found myself trying to do too much. So this year, especially with me just coming off an injury, I'm trying to just see the ball, have good at-bats. I'm not trying to do too much. I'm trying to hit low line drives and see where it takes us, especially against the pitching staff that Seattle has.
They throw hard. They have good offspeed stuff. So doing too much is a good way to strike out, honestly. So I'm just trying to put the bat to the ball and obviously trying not to do too much and help the team any way I can.
Q. You and Matt Vierling have kind of been together in this rehab process in the last couple weeks. How much empathy do you have for him and frustration for him being close to being ready but not being quite there yet?
COLT KEITH: Yeah. Tough year for Matty with the shoulder and now the oblique. But I was with Matty when we were going down that stretch at the end of the season. And then I was in Cleveland, he went to Toledo.
But we've been rehabbing together. We're both working hard. I know he's trying to get back. It sucks to see him go through this. But I think he's confident and I'm confident that he can come through this and help us in the next round.
Q. Up until last night, you've been kind of a spectator for the last two weeks of some really wild games and some really wild highs and lows over the end of the regular season and playoffs. What's it been like, and what has kind of been your role in watching and not really able to participate in that two-week span?
COLT KEITH: Yeah. It's been horrible having to watch from the couch. I always want to go out there and help the team win. I know I can give at-bats, and it sucks not being able to.
But, you know, watching the team -- and I do like where we're at. I know we didn't do well the last couple weeks of the season, but I like the way we're trending here in the playoffs, and I'm excited that I'm able to go out there and help the team this time.
Q. You mentioned the final couple weeks of the season. Was there anything you think about that run and result of it that kind of rekindled last year's mentality into this team? Like instead of playing from ahead, you guys are -- kind of found yourselves maybe a little bit more in the underdog role again?
COLT KEITH: Yeah. That's true. I never thought about that, but I think this team and how we're built as individuals and as a team, we're a grindy team. I think that we're going to do better having to scrap away and put out good at-bats.
And I think we do play better as an underdog. Obviously we'd like to have -- to be ahead at all times and have the lead and just win the division like we would have loved to do.
But you saw the way we fought back and took a step back, realized what we need to do, come back together, beat Cleveland, and now we're here. We took Game 1.
So I like where we're at, and I like where we're going going forward.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports