Injury Bug Returns: How Good Are The Odds Now?

With only a few weeks remaining until the postseason, the Blue Jays sit in a playoff spot, second in the division behind Tampa Bay. Led by Ryu, Hernandez, and Bichette, the young Blue Jays are contending at an earlier point in the rebuild then many anticipated, but injuries arising left and right could derail their chances in the final weeks of the season. With significant time missed by Giles, Bichette, Hernandez, Tellez, Pearson, Shoemaker, Romano, Thornton, and Mayza (recovering from Tommy John), the Jays have had to adjust constantly throughout the season, and despite this, they still have an excellent opportunity ahead.

Many of Toronto’s injuries have cost players time on the field, but not the entire season. Only Thornton, and Tellez aren’t expected back this season, as Thornton has been placed on the 45 day IL, and Tellez injury is of significance, as many might have been able to guess after seeing him struggling to walk with crutches on several broadcasts. Many anticipated the Blue Jays season to be over after seeing Giles and Bichette go down, but the team only continued to perform, and with many key players just days away from a return, the Blue Jays only have to hold out a little while longer.

Over the past weekend Giles and Bichette made their return to the team against the Mets. After only a couple appearances however, Giles is headed back to the IL, and his season is likely over. Prior to his return, Giles hadn’t pitched since the opening day series against Tampa, having been pulled due to injury on July 26th. He has only gotten into four games through the entire season, and has a 9.82 ERA on the year after allowing at least one run in three of his appearances. With the bullpen beginning to feel the pains of overuse in the last couple games against the Yankees, Giles going down again could be detrimental to the team’s chances at a deep playoff run, and could also indicate that he will be searching for a new home this off-season. Not only has his injury history become a concern, but it might be better for him to leave Toronto after injury mistreatment on multiple occasions, as the same thing happened to him last season.

Again on the pitching front, Nate Pearson and Matt Shoemaker could return within the next week. It has been reported that Shoemaker’s recovery is progressing faster than expected, according to pitching coach Pete Walker. With the team short of inning eating starters, he will slot right back into the rotation upon his return. Pearson on the other hand will likely find himself in a bullpen role when he comes off the IL, also according to Pete Walker. As someone who hasn’t pitched many minor league innings at age 24, it is likely a strong move to prevent further injury, and his high velocity in a shortened role could make him a significant force in the late innings. Both players' returns will be significant to the team, as pitching has become an issue for the team after allowing 33 runs over the last two games, and averaging 11.2 runs allowed over the last five.

Wilmer Font, Teoscar Hernandez, and Jordan Romano were some of the more recent names to land on the injured list, two of whom are currently on the 10 day. Font seems to be a minor injury, and he could make a return after the 10 days are up, although it’s anyone’s guess as to whether or not he will remain on the active roster, or be sent to the alternate player pool after struggling early in the year. Regarding Romano, Pete Walker said he hopes to have him back before the season’s end. Being the Blue Jays history of extending the time they keep injured players sidelined, it seems likely that he will make his return in the postseason. Hernandez has had the least transparency thus far out of all the injured players. It was a strange case when he hit the IL unannounced, and it took days for reporters to find the true injury, with initial reports believing it to be an upper body problem when it was actually an issue with his leg. It is unprecedented for a team to leave so much undisclosed, which causes suspicion to arise regarding the seriousness of the injury. He was only played on the 10 day IL, and has since been activated, but more might come if the injury is mistreated.

As the leading hitter for the Jays, Hernandez's injury was a big one. Although it was only ten days missed, it could easily throw the breakout hitter out of rhythm, and could also disrupt the lineup. Only time will tell how the missed time will affect the team going forward, but one can only hope that it leaves minimal effects.

Considering that Tellez and Hernandez were some of the hottest bats in the lineup, the Jays odds at a playoff run could be in jeopardy if their injuries turn out to be serious. Fortunately the Yankees have been hobbled by injuries as well, which was the primary reason for such a close playoff race with Toronto this season. With only a couple weeks left, Bichette, Pearson, and Shoemaker couldn’t be coming back at a better time, as the team really needs a spark in the lineup from Bichette, and pitching reinforcements will be huge with the current worrying struggles. The Blue Jays look to be in a good spot in terms of making the playoffs, but unless their pitching can figure things out in a hurry, they might be in a predicament come the postseason