Blue Jays select contract of Joe Panik, transfer Yennsy Diaz to injured list

According to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, the Toronto Blue Jays have officially selected the contract of Joe Panik while transferring Yennsy Diaz to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move.

Although the season has been postponed, MLB rosters have not been frozen and teams are currently free to make moves. The Blue Jays officially added infielder Joe Panik to their roster signaling the veteran will make the team when the season resumes.

Panik had a March 15th opt-out clause attached to his minor-league agreement he signed back in January. The Blue Jays did not want a chance to lose Panik who had an impressive spring training hitting .381 with eight hits including a pair of homers, a triple and five runs batted in.

It is assumed, Panik will play a role off the bench similar to that of Eric Sogard last season. The sports a career .271/.334/.384 slash line with 38 home runs, 20 stolen bases and a 7.7 WAR in six MLB seasons with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets.

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In a surprising corresponding move, Yennsy Diaz was transferred to the 60-day injured list. The 23-year old hurler made three Grapefruit League appearances this spring posting a 4.91 earned run average fanning four in 3.2 innings of work.

However, there has been very little information surrounding the pitcher injuring himself. Diaz made his MLB debut last season surrendering two runs while walking four in 0.2 innings. The right-hander spent the majority of the 2019 campaign in Double-A New Hampshire as a starter going 11-9 with a 3.74 earned run average in 26 appearances that included 24 starts.

There is no telling when the season will kick-off with information that gatherings of 50 or more people will not be permitted for at least another eight weeks in the United States. That would conceivably delay the start of the regular season until sometime around June.

Regardless of when the season starts, it is confirmed that Joe Panik will be a part of the team that eventually breaks camp and heads north.