TORONTO -- Another day, another injury for the Blue Jays. This time, it was Nathan Lukes leaving the game early with left hamstring discomfort after running out a double in the first inning of Friday's 8-6 loss.
Lukes’ double was a breath of fresh air after the Guardians launched two home runs off Max Scherzer in a five-run first, but the moment he slid into second base, Lukes was in clear discomfort, which brought out manager John Schneider and the Blue Jays’ training staff.
While rounding first base, it looked like there was a slight moment of hesitation from Lukes as right fielder Chase DeLauter fielded the awkward bounce off the wall, which could have been a factor.
“I think it’s a little bit encouraging that it felt cramp-like. That was the last I heard,” John Schneider said. “I didn’t have the time to come in and chat with him before he left, but we’ll know tomorrow, and he’s getting an MRI on his left hamstring.”
Davis Schneider came in to replace Lukes, and while the Blue Jays are very deep with outfielders, injuries have strained that depth. Addison Barger, who now plays the majority of his days in right field, is on the IL with an ankle sprain and will still need a brief rehab stint when he’s ready for game action soon. George Springer is a bit ahead of Barger as he rehabs from a broken toe, but Springer DH’d for all 14 of his games prior to the injury.
If Lukes needs to miss any amount of time, it’s possible there could still be a small gap between now and when Springer returns, which could force the Blue Jays to juggle their roster even further. With Daulton Varsho in center, the Blue Jays still have Davis Schneider, Jesús Sánchez and Myles Straw, while Eloy Jiménez could slide out to play a corner spot in a pinch. Beyond that, though, the Blue Jays’ only other outfielder on the 40-man roster is prospect Jonatan Clase in Triple-A… but he’s already on the IL there, too.
Perhaps Springer forces his way back onto the roster immediately, and no one should put that past the veteran who played through a laundry list of injuries during the Blue Jays’ run to the World Series a year ago. If a move is needed to fill a gap, though, the Blue Jays have a group of top-30 prospects in Buffalo to choose from, including RJ Schreck (No. 9), Yohendrick Pinango (No. 10), Josh Kasevich (No. 13) and Charles McAdoo (No. 26) along with some veteran Minor Leaguers.
The Blue Jays are, unfortunately, well practiced at managing injuries and the roster challenges that come with them by now. When you add Alejandro Kirk (fractured thumb) to the equation with Springer and Barger, that’s three hitters who typically hit in the top six of the Blue Jays’ lineup each night. Lukes, who’s been red-hot of late since he dealt with vertigo earlier in the season, had just stepped in as a leadoff option himself.
The Blue Jays have also been hit hard by injuries on the pitching front, with over half of their rotation still on the IL in Trey Yesavage, José Berríos, Shane Bieber and Cody Ponce.