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He went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts in the Jays’ 10-2 loss to the Red Sox, but made an incredible catch in the fourth inning that will play on highlight reels for years.

When last we saw the 28-year-old Varsho, he was scuffling through a terrible September, trying to play with his right shoulder all torn up and going 2-for-21 before the team called it quits on September 12. He had surgery soon after.

“It was a long rehab process,” said Varsho, who went over seven-and-a-half months between games. “Throughout the whole process, it’s been kind of a roller coaster. Some days are going to feel good, some days are going to feel bad and that’s just a part of this injury. It’s just taking care of yourself and making sure you’re staying on top of things.”

That process included a dozen spring training games in which Varsho was limited to DH to make sure he wouldn’t be doing any throwing. He hit four home runs, which is more than the Jays’ leader has through the first 28 games of the season.聽

Varsho stayed behind once the season started, working with former teammate and current Jays special assistant Kevin Kiermaier before he started a rehab assignment on April 19. He played a pair of games with the Class-A Dunedin Blue Jays before moving up to Triple-A Buffalo for five more. There were four starts in centre and three at DH.

“It means a lot,” first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said of having his fellow gold-glover back. “He’s our centre-fielder and he’s back healthy. I know he’s going to help us a lot.”

Varsho returns with his team mired in a brutal slide, having lost seven of eight games before facing the Red Sox and falling to a season-worst two games under .500. The left-handed bat knows he’s not here to be a saviour.

“Just be myself,” the Wisconsinite said when asked what he hopes to bring to the team. “I feel like its always been something we’ve gone back and forth on聽鈥� don’t try to do too much, just be yourself and go out there and play.”

The manager agrees.

“We’re not asking him to save our offence,” John Schneider said before Tuesday’s game. “We want him to fit in. When you just look up and down, I think we need the top of our order to get going a little bit and we just need people to do their part. I think Varsh is really good at that. He understands what kind of player he is, what kind of hitter he is. Again, we’re not asking him to come in and hit 40 homers. If he does, great, but I think he’s really aware of what he does to this lineup.”

What Varsho has done, for the most part, is be the best defensive outfielder in the game. Offensively, over his two years in Toronto, he’s posted an OPS+ of 90, which means that his on-base-plus-slugging percentage has been only 90 per cent as good as the average major-leaguer over that span.

The year before he came to the Jays, Varsho belted a career-high 27 homers with Arizona, posting a 108 OPS+.

He is fully recovered from the shoulder surgery, passing the final test last Thursday when he made a to steal a hit in Buffalo.

“It’s just that trust factor (with the shoulder),” Varsho said. “Like, you’re doing it in practice, but it’s at half-speed. Being able to do it at game speed is what’s the true reflection.”

A favourite in the clubhouse, Varsho’s return was more than welcome.聽

“Everybody loves him,” Guerrero said.

Offensively, all hands are finally on deck, though struggling rookie Will Wagner was sent down to clear a spot for Varsho. Time to start winning.