Blue Jays’ Jose Reyes eyeing rehab assignment, return

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There is some good news in the air for Toronto Blue Jays fans on this fine Wednesday morning. According to Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com, Jose Reyes could be set to begin a rehab assignment this weekend and is expected to rejoin the team in the next week.

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After suffering a cracked rib during the April 10-12th series with the Baltimore Orioles, Reyes initially tried to play through the injury by hitting exclusively right-handed. However, the experiment hampered his production, with the shortstop going just 3 for 23 (.130) before the Blue Jays finally opted to place him on the disabled list on April 28th. Prior to the injury, Reyes was slashing a solid .324/.350/.405.

For now the plan is to give Reyes a few days of batting practice before sending him on an official rehab assignment that will likely carry through the weekend. That could put Reyes in action for the Buffalo Bisons (Triple-A) for the weekend, and allow him to rejoin the Blue Jays when the team returns home on Monday May 18th for a series against the Los Angeles Angels. Of course, Toronto could wish to give him a few more games as well, having him rejoin the Blue Jays on Friday the 22nd for a weekend series against the Seattle Mariners.

The return of Reyes could prove to be an interesting development in terms of roster movements for the team. First and foremost, it allows the Blue Jays to shift Devon Travis further down the line-up, where he was decidedly more comfortable. Toronto could play this in a number of ways, with Josh Donaldson moving back into the five spot and Travis taking over the number two role. Travis could also slide to bottom third, allowing the Blue Jays to deepen their line-up and aid in turning it over.

With Jose Bautista currently limited to DH duties with him sore shoulder, the Blue Jays have been forced to carry an extra outfielder on the roster. That led Toronto into working around the assignment system by having Steve Tolleson decline his assignment and then re-sign with the team, thus avoiding the 10-day time frame invoked when a player is assigned to the minors. Tolleson had his contract selected by the Blue Jays on May 10th, just five days after being outrighted to the Buffalo Bisons.

In all likelihood, Tolleson would become expendable again when Reyes returns. That would push Ryan Goins into the role of back-up infielder, with Danny Valencia helping out as needed while also figuring into the outfield rotation.

Next: Blue Jays Weekly: Russell Martin Mashing in May

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