ARLINGTON -- The Blue Jays have placed Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain that the club describes as “moderate,” forcing it to lean more heavily on outfield depth in a postseason run. 

Gurriel injured his hamstring in Wednesday’s finale of the series in Baltimore, racing to beat out a ground ball before collapsing beyond first base. Timelines with a hamstring injury can be notoriously difficult, but manager John Schneider indicated it’s possible that Gurriel misses more than the minimum of 10 days. 

“It’s kind of bad timing, obviously,” Schneider said. “It’s always bad timing, but we’ll go from there.”

Gurriel’s season has been an interesting one, creating a newer offensive profile for himself after he hit 21 home runs in 2021. That power has evaporated this season, but he has hit .291 with a .343 on-base percentage, making him a surprise option atop the lineup as a leadoff man for 10 games.

Where the Blue Jays go defensively, though, isn’t a simple answer.

“You can do a variety of things with [Raimel] Tapia, with Whit [Merrifield], and [Cavan] Biggio can be in the outfield. There’s [Jackie] Bradley Jr., [Bradley] Zimmer, all of those guys,” Schneider said. “It’s kind of an all-hands-on-deck approach, for sure.”

Options are good, but the Blue Jays will certainly need more from Merrifield and Tapia, regardless of where they are on the field. Merrifield has hit just .188 with a .480 OPS since coming over to the Blue Jays at the Trade Deadline, while Tapia has seen his numbers creep back to a .261 average and a .649 OPS, including a .284 on-base percentage that has made it difficult to keep him in the lineup when it’s at full health. 

Gurriel’s IL stint could also open up a longer opportunity for No. 1 prospect Gabriel Moreno. The young catcher may have been headed back to Triple-A Buffalo, but given the limited pinch-hit options on the Blue Jays’ bench for late in games, his contact tool is looking more attractive.

“Especially if you’re coming off the bench,” Schneider said. “I always think that’s such a good skill set to have, coming in to pinch-hit with that contact ability in certain situations. You can trust him for sure.”

Gurriel has dealt with hamstring injuries multiple times in the past, so this recovery won’t be anything new for him. The Blue Jays should have a much better feel for his status by the end of next week.