Osuna, Sanchez dealing with finger injuries
Neither reliever expected to miss any time in ALCS
TORONTO -- Blue Jays righty relievers Roberto Osuna and Aaron Sanchez are both dealing with finger injuries to their pitching hands, but neither is expected to miss any time in the American League Championship Series against the Royals.
Sanchez has a blister on his right hand, while Osuna has a cracked nail. That might not seem like much, but it can still be a serious issue for pitchers who need to have a comfortable grip on the baseball.
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If this was the regular season, Toronto likely would give each of the relievers a few days off to fully heal, but that's not a luxury the team can afford in the postseason. As a result, Sanchez and Osuna are both expected to be available for Tuesday's Game 4 (3 p.m. ET air time, 4 p.m game time on FOX Sports 1/Sportsnet), and -- barring any setbacks -- for the remainder of the series.
"He's fine, he battled a little cracked nail, but he felt good yesterday," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said of Osuna, who tossed two-thirds of an inning in Game 3. "That's why, ideally, you'd stay away from him unless you have to use him.
"[Sanchez has] a little blister, it's healing up on him a little bit, too. But you're conscious, if you extend them a little bit too much, now you're in trouble."
Left-hander Brett Cecil continues to make progress in his return from a torn left calf muscle. Cecil is not eligible to appear in the ALCS after he was removed from the roster midway through the AL Division Series because of the injury, but it's possible he will return if the Blue Jays advance to the World Series.
Cecil threw off a mound on Sunday and he repeated that process Tuesday morning. The veteran setup man has not improved to the point where he can start running or fielding off a mound, but Toronto at least has the ability to keep his arm active.
"When he first had the injury, they looked at it and it was a pretty good tear, but he's bouncing back," Gibbons said. "They want to keep his arm working just in case it's one of those miracles."