TORONTO -- The Blue Jays lost yet another starting pitcher on Tuesday night when right-hander Marco Estrada was forced to leave in the first inning because of left hip soreness.
Estrada has been dealing with hip discomfort for the last couple of weeks, but it became even more problematic when he took the mound against the Mets on Tuesday night in Toronto's 8-6 win at Rogers Centre. His night came to an end after three batters, and even during the brief appearance, Estrada was in noticeable discomfort.
The 34-year-old Estrada was sent for X-rays, which came back negative, but the Blue Jays will not know the extent of his injury until the results of his MRI, plpanned for Wednesday, are revealed. For now Estrada is considered questionable for his next start, but an official diagnosis likely will be made available following the exam.
"His left hip has been bothering him a little bit," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons conceded after the game. "It was bothering him a little in his last start, and it was worse tonight. They're going to get an MRI on that right now, and we'll have a little bit better of an idea."
The injury comes at an inopportune time for the Blue Jays, who were expected to shop Estrada prior to the upcoming July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline. Estrada was considered one of Toronto's top trade chips, alongside left-hander J.A. Happ, but his availability may be thrown into question following the latest setback.
Estrada's hip issue also is unfortunate for the Blue Jays, because it comes at a time when two of their starting pitchers are on the disabled list. Toronto is already without the services of Aaron Sanchez and Jaime Garcia, and now the club will have to search for yet another replacement.
The Blue Jays have a pair of off-days coming up over the next week, so it's possible they will not require a fifth starter until some point during the upcoming four-game series in Boston from July 12-15. The four-day All-Star break falls after that series, so Toronto might only need one spot start, but a lot of that will depend on Estrada's diagnosis.
"I think you have to give [Estrada] respect, first of all, for trying to go out there, and trying to pitch if he knew something was bothering him," Blue Jays infielder Yangervis Solarte said through an interpreter after the game. "It's something that we don't want to see. He's a great pitcher. We need him, and hopefully it won't be too long, so we can get him back as soon as possible."