Edwin Encarnacion joins the Blue Jays’ walking wounded club…again

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Fresh off returning to the line-up after a sitting out with a sore hamstring, Edwin Encarnacion is again fighting off the injury bug. The Toronto Blue Jays first baseman can now add a sore shoulder to his list of ailments.

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Encarnacion went 1 for 3 with an RBI in Saturday’s game against the Houston Astros, but was removed for pinch hitter Justin Smoak in the bottom of the 8th inning. It was learned after the game that Encarnacion was given a cortisone shot in his left shoulder. According to Daniel Girard of MLB.com, the injury has been present for a couple of weeks, but Encarnacion aggravated it in the first inning, when he delivered his lone hit of the ballgame, an RBI single to center.

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A cortisone shot is designed to relieve pain and inflammation in designated places of the body and it typically takes the recipient a day or so to recover from the shot. With that said, Encarnacion is not expected to be in the line-up for the Blue Jays on Sunday and it is not known if he will be ready to return to the line-up for Monday’s series opener with the Miami Marlins. Fellow Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista received a cortisone shot in his right shoulder on May 24th, but did not return to Toronto’s line-up until May 26th, two days later.

For Edwin Encarnacion, this is just another small injury setback. The first baseman made only a pinch hitting appearance during the three-game set with the Washington Nationals with a sore hamstring earlier this week. However, he returned to the line-up for Friday’s opener with the Astros and was 2 for 6 in the series before leaving Saturday’s game. He is now hitting .218/.306/.440 with 12 home runs and 32 RBI in 2015, but has just four hits in is last 32 at-bats on the season.

The Blue Jays will look for the sweep against Houston on Sunday, with right-hander Collin McHugh on the mound and will then face lefty Brad Hand on Monday against the Marlins. Toronto will likely start Justin Smoak on Sunday against the right-hander, with Danny Valencia or Chris Colabello at first base on Monday against the lefty if needed.

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