Blue Jays’ stars are dropping like flies, injury updates

Designated Hitter/1st Base- Kendrys Morales

Morales had been one of the few Blue Jay regulars to avoid injury issues so far in 2017, but that run of health came to an end on Tuesday night. Unfortunately Morales had to leave the game, being removed in the 8th inning with reported hamstring tightness.

The 33 year old is scheduled to have an MRI on Wednesday morning and the Blue Jays should release an update some time after that. With the new 10 day DL being such a utilized tool for many clubs across the MLB, including the Blue Jays, it’s highly likely he’ll land on there, even if it’s just for the minimum 10 day stay.

Morales has spent the majority of his time at designated hitter, so at least the Jays don’t have to worry about replacing defence as well in this case. That said, someone will have to slide into his role, which just means the depth is thinned out elsewhere. For example, if the Blue Jays decide to utilize Jose Bautista at DH, they’ll need to slot someone else in the outfield.

The primary beneficiary of Morales being out may be Steve Pearce, who hasn’t been a full-time starter this year with the solid play of Justin Smoak at first base, Ezequiel Carrera in left, and of course, his own struggles at the plate.