Reyes ready for BP in recovery from rib injury
Shortstop expected to need rehab in Minors; return next week likely
BALTIMORE -- Jose Reyes will take batting practice on Wednesday afternoon as he continues to near a return to the Blue Jays' lineup.
Reyes hasn't played since April 27 because of a cracked left rib. He's eligible to come off the disabled list Wednesday, but he's still multiple days away from officially rejoining the team.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Reyes will need to hit for at least a couple of days before he's sent out on a brief rehab assignment in the Minor Leagues.
"Yeah, I would think so," Gibbons said of the shortstop taking batting practice before increasing his workload.
If everything goes well over the next couple of days, it's possible Reyes could begin a rehab assignment this weekend. That would seem to rule him out for the current road trip, which wraps up in Houston on Sunday, but it's possible he'll be back for the next homestand.
Reyes tried to play through the injury for a couple of weeks before realizing that the only way it would fully heal was by taking an extended period of time off. The cracked rib also was impacting his performance at the plate, as Reyes was hitting .250 with a .266 on-base percentage in 16 games before going on the DL.