Blue Jays lose Jose Reyes again, this time to the Disabled List

Ever since the moment when the Toronto Blue Jays announced that Jose Reyes would not need to go to the disabled list with a fractured rib, they’ve been playing with fire. Unfortunately, they lost that game too, with the team opting to place Reyes on the DL a full week later with the the same injury, according to Baseball Jenn, who broke the news, and Shi David of Sportsnet, who confirmed it.

After initially sitting out for a few days with the injury, Reyes returned to the Blue Jays line-up on April 21, with the rib forcing the switch-hitter to bat exclusively right-handed. Perhaps the decision was forced due to the fact that second baseman Devon Travis was hit in the ribs the night before and the team wasn’t sure what his status was at the time. Regardless, it was short-sighted at best, with Reyes collecting just 3 hits in 25 plate appearances before Toronto ultimately decided to send him to the disabled list.

This would never have happened if Adam Lind‘s mother was still running the medical staff!

Needless to say, the Blue Jays will once again be without their starting shortstop and leadoff hitter for the next several weeks. In his place, Toronto has purchased the contract of Jonathan Diaz from Triple-A Buffalo.

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Diaz saw 23 games as a member of the Blue Jays in 2014, “hitting” .158/.256/.184 and collecting 4 RBI in 45 plate appearances. A light hitter to begin with, Diaz wasn’t exactly lighting the world on fire with the Bisons either, as he was struggling to a very similar .178/.315/.222 slash-line and hit just .205/.319/.295 overall at Buffalo in 2014. However, he’s known more for his slick glove and will provide a decent defensive back-up around the infield.

In Reyes’ stead, the Blue Jays will likely use Ryan Goins at shortstop for the foreseeable future.

The naysayers who have watched the Blue Jays struggle out of the gate will point to this as another piece of the sky falling, and to some degree, it is hard to argue with them, even if it is a bit premature. The decision to not place Reyes on the disabled list earlier this month was short-sighted and handicapped the team for an additional 11 days by having him play through it.

To make room for Diaz on the 40-man roster, the Blue Jays will need to make a subsequent roster move as they currently stand at 41 players. Andy Wilkins appears to be the most likely candidate to receive his designation, as he’s a bit redundant for the Bisons and has struggled to a .236/.353/.273 batting line in Buffalo.

Next: Blue Jays bullpen suffers a late loss to Red Sox

More from Jays Journal

• Blue Jays: Snapping cold streaks at the right time
• Who Should the Blue Jays Extend First: Guerrero, Bichette or Manoah?
• Blue Jays now hold the top Wild Card spot, and yes that’s a good thing
• Blue Jays may have the tools to use a Bullpen Day
• Blue Jays win important first game after Bichette’s late inning heroics