All it took was a few moves for Yangervis Solarte to endear himself to the Toronto Blue Jays and their fan base.

Sure, there was a go-ahead eighth-inning home run in the third baseman’s second game with the club but it was Solarte’s dance moves in front of the Blue Jays’ dugout, in celebration Kevin Pillar’s steal of home later that game, that charmed fans.

Acquired from San Diego in January, he has been dubbed the new Kawasaki, a reference to former fan favourite Munenori Kawasaki, also known for his moves. On Instagram, Solarte himself calls his highlights, both on the field and in the dugout, “El Sexy Time.” He has helped mitigate the loss of Josh Donaldson, on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation for who knows how long, with five homers, 14 walks, and an .888 OPS.

Solarte’s zest for life has rubbed off on the clubhouse, too, according to Jays manager John Gibbons

“Solo’s a high energy guy,” Gibbons said earlier this season. “He brings a lot of that. I think that’s big for a team.”

In a game where theatrics aren’t always celebrated, Solarte’s enthusiasm stands out. The 30-year-old says he has always been full of life, but it is his three daughters — Yanliett, 7, Yuliett, 6, and Yulianna, 2, — that fuel his approach to the game.

“I’ve been through a lot in my baseball career, I’ve been through a lot outside of baseball,” he said last week, speaking through translator Josue Peley. “When I’m here, I’m so glad. I’m just excited and happy to be here and do what I love. Mostly, since I got my three daughters, I’m just way more excited and more happy to be out here. For me, it’s important to show them that in life we have to be happy and we have to be alive.”

That hasn’t always been easy for the family. Solarte’s wife and the girls’ mom, Yuliett Pimentel Solarte, died in September 2016, at age 31, after complications from a fight with cancer. Solarte, then with San Diego, returned to the Padres a week after her death, despite being “destroyed” at the time.

“Everything was for her,” Solarte told Fox Sports months after the family’s loss. “She always told me that whether she dies or doesn’t die, I can’t stop playing. Because all the goals I set for myself, they were for our daughters, and I had to be able to assure their future. So no matter what happens, (she said) I need to continue to play.”

Solarte says he keeps his house filled with music and dancing. And when that extends to the ballpark, it’s a message to his kids, not the other team.

“I’ve never had any problems so far with that and I’ll explain it to you why. Every time I hit a homer or do something good, I always run the bases hard. I don’t try to disrespect the other team. I do that first of all because of my daughters, so they know when I do something good and I do something for them. They can see it.

“As you guys know, I lost somebody very important last year and, for me, I get to home plate and I make sure I thank God and I thank everybody. If another team wants to hit me or do something about it, it’s fine with me, but I hope that they know it’s for my family.”

Solarte reunited with his daughters in New York over the weekend, and plans to bring them to Toronto as soon as they’re out of school for the summer. Because of his job, he can’t spend every minute with his girls and it makes the quality time they have together during breaks from school that much more important, even if it’s doing something as simple as including his children in his daily routine.

“For me, it’s really important to be with them and show them that I’m there for them,” Solarte said. “If I have to get up in the morning and do my workouts and I have to go stretch or do something, instead of going to do it myself I bring them with me. I’m still going to do what I have to do but I know they’re going to be there and we’re going to connect.”

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So far this year, Solarte and his teammates have had more to celebrate than to lament. The infielder said he is happy with his new club and feels “amazing” about the team’s no-quit attitude. But even when things aren’t going so well, Solarte knows where he can find a pick-me-up.

“Kids are never mad,” he said. “Kids are never mean so every time my daughters are with me, I can go 0-for-5, I can be sad, they’re going to give me all of that positivity that I need, every day.”