Reyes sidelined indefinitely with ankle injury

KANSAS CITY -- Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos said late Friday night that he expects shortstop Jose Reyes to miss one to three months or possibly longer after Reyes injured his left ankle in an awkward slide in the sixth inning against the Royals.

"Off the quick look, that's going to be the range," Anthopoulos said. "If it's good news, you are looking at four weeks."

According to the Blue Jays PR department, Reyes has a left ankle sprain and went to an area hospital for an MRI.

Reyes had just delivered a two-run single to give the Blue Jays an 8-4 lead. He then took off for second and looked back as he neared the bag, which left him caught between sliding and standing up. Reyes slid with his right foot forward and dragged his left ankle over the bag before being called safe with a stolen base.

Sunny days wouldn't be special if it wasn't for rain. Thank you guys For all the love and the prayers.… instagram.com/p/YB81hwTVV_/

- Jose Reyes (@lamelaza_7) April 13, 2013

Manager John Gibbons said Reyes felt a pop and was in pain immediately. Reyes lifted his shirt over his face as medical officials worked to stabilize his ankle.

"By [Saturday] we should have an update," Anthopoulos said. "He thought the ball was fouled. You rarely see him slide with his feet. He slides head-first. He actually had a similar injury in 2003."

Reyes was hitting .395 in 38 at-bats with the Blue Jays. The club has already begun to explore its options internally and via possible trades to fill the shortstop void.

"It's part of the game," Anthopoulos said. "You never want to see it, but at the same time you've been through it enough times that it's going to happen over the course of the season."

Reyes was examined initially by the Royals' team physician and the Blue Jays' trainers.

"I don't believe we're a team built on one player, no matter how great a player it is," Anthopoulos said. "We continue to move forward. The biggest thing for us is we need to pitch. If we do, I think everything will work itself out. Hopefully, Jose will be back during the season and we'll be right there."

Gibbons said it's never good when a player is caught between sliding and standing up.

"It's a nightmare," Gibbons said. "He's a big part of this team. We have to deal with it. The train keeps moving. You have to pick up the slack, but it definitely won't be easy."

The Blue Jays could have the shortstop replacement answer in the mending Brett Lawrie in the not-too-distant future. But Gibbons cautioned against rushing Lawrie back.

"We don't think he's too far away, but you still want to be cautious with him," Gibbons said. "You don't want him coming back too soon. We still have to be smart with that."