Fluharty bruised, not broken, after consecutive comebackers force his exit

TORONTO -- Lightning struck twice on Blue Jays reliever Mason Fluharty, who was hit by back-to-back comebackers on Saturday afternoon against the Athletics and was forced to leave the game.

Fluharty has been diagnosed with a right knee contusion, but the good news is that X-rays came back negative and Fluharty was feeling good after the Blue Jays’ 8-7, 11-inning win, according to manager John Schneider. He’ll probably be waking up sore in the morning, but the Blue Jays don’t expect this is anything serious.

The two seventh-inning comebackers hit Fluharty in a similar spot. First, Jeff McNeil drove one back to Fluharty at 98.9 mph, which struck the left-hander on the inside of his right leg. After meeting with Toronto manager John Schneider and the training staff, Fluharty threw a few warmup pitches and stayed in the game, but it happened again just three pitches later.

Max Muncy then hit one back at Fluharty at 92.2 mph, this time catching Fluharty on the inside of that same right leg, but more directly on his knee. While Muncy ran through the bag at first to reach on an infield single, just as McNeil had, it was immediately clear that Fluharty was in more pain than the first.

This time, the conversation was quick. Fluharty was down for a period of time, then got to his feet and walked off the field with one arm over Blue Jays head athletic trainer Jose Ministral and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

The inning fell apart soon after Fluharty walked off. Fellow lefty Brendon Little allowed another infield single to bring home the tying run, then gave up a grand slam to Shea Langeliers, who’s been the hottest hitter in the series with his third home run in just two games.

“When that inning was over, it was kind of like ... what just happened?” Schneider said. “I’ve never seen that, and hopefully we don’t see it again.”

This was an unbelievable bit of bad luck for Fluharty, who had just entered the game with a 2-1 lead in the seventh to face the bottom third of the A’s lineup. Fluharty had warmed up twice on Opening Day and didn’t make it into the game, but he figures to be one of the Blue Jays’ most-used relievers in 2026, given his durability.

If Fluharty needs a couple of days off, Little would be the Blue Jays’ lone lefty in the bullpen. Louis Varland and Tyler Rogers both pitched in each of the Blue Jays’ first two games, too, and will likely get a breather when Toronto tries to sweep the A’s on Sunday.