Edwin Encarnacion Suffers “Minor” Setback

Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion has suffered a minor setback in his recovery from a quad injury while rehabbing in Florida.  John Gibbons revealed today that Encarnacion felt discomfort in his quad area while swinging.  Barry Davis of Sportsnet.ca gave the bad news just hours before first pitch in New York:

The Blue Jays were cautiously optimistic that Edwin Encarnacion, along with Adam Lind and Nolan Reimold, would be able to join the club soon without needing any rehab appearances in the minors.  This setback for Encarnacion, however, could eliminate that option.

The severity of this setback is unknown as of yet, with many suggesting that Edwin Encarnacion will only be shut down for a few days.  However, baseball is a game of quick-burst movements, which presents difficulty when properly healing lingering muscle injuries.  The likely scenario is that this setback delays Edwin Encarnacion’s return by approximately one week, and a safe assumption for his return may be at the end of this road trip on August 5th.

Before the injury, Edwin Encarnacion had overcome a forgettable April to catch fire in May.  The Blue Jays regular cleanup hitter put the roster on his back through multiple win streaks.  His ability to provide protection for the suddenly-hot Jose Bautista has long been missed.  With Bautista now heating up as well, a speedy return for Encarnacion could be a perfect storm at the heart of the Blue Jays order.

With Nolan Reimold and Adam Lind now stronger possibilities to return before Edwin Encarnacion, a shuffle at the bottom of the Blue Jays 25-man roster will soon begin.  As both Lind and Encarnacion receive regular play at 1B, Dan Johnson seems the obvious first choice to receive his ticket to Buffalo.  Ryan Goins, Anthony Gose (gasp!), Rob Rasmussen, and Esmil Rogers appear to be the secondary candidates for demotions, as the walking wounded return to the front lines for the Toronto Blue Jays.