Blue Jays have options to cover a Teoscar Hernandez absence

It looks like Teoscar Hernandez could be headed to the Injured List, unless his MRI comes back clean. How will the Blue Jays cover for his absence?

First of all, it’s pretty much impossible to just replace a hitter of Hernandez’s calibre, who has won back to back Silver Slugger awards in the American League. Any way you slice it, the potential for missed time from the 29 year old is a big blow, so hopefully it won’t be an extended absence. That said, it was very clear that he was in pain as he left the field on Wednesday night, and while I’m not a doctor, I’m pretty confident that he’s dealing with some sort of oblique issue. Unfortunately obliques can be complicated, and he could be on the shelf for a while.

In the meantime the Blue Jays are going to have to make due without him, and they do have a few options to fill his spot. Thanks to some roster flexibility the Jays have a few different options, and I imagine they’ll distribute the playing time between a few different players. Unfortunately they’re also dealing with an injury to Danny Jansen, and what looked like a deep roster is starting to show some holes. Sometimes that just can’t be helped, and in the case of the catching position it looks like the Blue Jays will roll with Alejandro Kirk as their main starter, with Zack Collins and Tyler Heineman serving in a back-up role.

As for right field, here are just a few ways the Blue Jays could make due until their All-Star slugger can return.