The Toronto Blue Jays will need to rearrange their roster once more.
The Toronto Blue Jays have received unfavorable information. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the team’s utility infielder, is listed as injured due to a sprained left knee, according to Sportsnet. Leo Jimenez is being brought in by the team from Triple-A Buffalo to take the infielder’s position.
The incident is only the most recent in a horrendous string of health problems for the group. Because of injuries to most of the relievers, the Blue Jays bullpen has undergone a near total renovation. Considering Alex Manoah is gone for the year, the starting pitchers haven’t done much better either. Jordan Romano and Yimi Garcia are also dealing with issues that have prevented them from playing regularly.
Toronto is 38-46 overall, and a major factor in the team’s difficulties is injuries.
Toronto’s Kiner-Falefa season
Kiner-Falefa plays utility for the Blue Jays and is versatile enough to fill a variety of roles. He plays both shortstop and third base in the infield. He’s a second base player as well. He is slashing at a batting average of.292 this season. In all, he has scored 33 runs and hit seven home runs. It’s the best his production has been in a long time.
This is the utility player’s first year with Toronto. After playing with the New York Yankees for the previous two seasons, he joined the organization this past summer. For the Blue Jays, who infamously missed out on the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes, Kiner-Falefa was a valuable signing. Although Kiner-Falefa lacks power in his home run hitting, his ability to reach base and score a vital run in close games has made him an important member of the Toronto team. At those infield positions, he plays defense that is as strong as anyone on the team.
The infielder has 236 runs batted in and a career batting average of.264. He has been a player for the Texas Rangers, Yankees, and Blue Jays. In 2020, he was a part of the Rangers organization and was awarded a Gold Glove.
Blue Jays fans are hopeful that Jimenez can offer the team some more offensive success. Joey Votto’s prolonged absence has already cost the team’s offense a vital player. Votto has been on the IL due to back and ankle issues. Toronto is depending on Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for offensive production with Kiner-Falefa also sidelined. In addition, Guerrero has experienced some medical setbacks due to a finger injury.
While Kiner-Falefa is out, Jimenez will probably get the opportunity to bat in his first major league at-bat. In Triple-A Buffalo, Jimenez is hitting.271 with a.416 on-base percentage. Although it will take time to see how he does against MLB arms, Blue Jays supporters are optimistic.
Next up on Tuesday is the Blue Jays. At 7:05 Eastern, the team plays the Houston Astros.
Sports writer Benjamin Adducchio has been covering news for more than ten years. For ClutchPoints, he writes with expertise about the NFL, NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball, and the New York Yankees. The native of New York City has experience in radio and broadcasting.
GET MORE NEWS HERE
Be the first to comment