The Toronto Blue Jays made an intriguing roster move ahead of their three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Toronto is set to kick off a three-game series on Friday against the Phillies on the road. Before the series begins, the Blue Jays announced they placed nine-year MLB veteran Luis Urias on the IL and promoted Brett Bateman to the MLB.
“ROSTER MOVES: OF Brett Bateman selected to the Major League roster and will be active tonight. INF Luis Urías (right quad strain) placed on the 10-day IL. OF Rudy Martin Jr. designated for assignment. Welcome to The Show, Brett!,” the Blue Jays wrote on X.
Urias left Thursday’s game against the Chicago Cubs with a hamstring injury, and it was enough to place him on the IL. Toronto acquired Urias from the Arizona Diamondbacks in June, and he’s surprisingly been an impact player for the Blue Jays. He’s hitting .250 with 3 home runs and 8 RBIs this season.
Bateman, meanwhile, was acquired at the trade deadline from the Cubs in the Kevin Gausman trade. He’s a defensive-first center fielder who could be in the running to be Toronto’s starting center fielder in 2027, so this is a big chance for him.
Urias Left Cubs Game With Injury
After the trade deadline and the sell-off, Urias has started to play more for the Blue Jays.
The veteran can play all over the diamond and has been impactful for Toronto. Yet, he left Thursday’s game with a quad injury, and Blue Jays manager John Schneider said it’s something he didn’t want to do.
“He’s a tough dude, he doesn’t want to come out of a game,” said Schneider. “He wants to take advantage of every opportunity.”
According to Schneider, Urias felt something in his right quad and will get an MRI. Unfortnately, it appears the results didn’t go well, as he’s now been placed on the IL.
Urias was a top-40-ranked prospect in both 2019 and 2020 in MLB. However, he’s struggled to live up to the expectations, as he’s more of a depth player in his career now.
Bateman Could be Part of Blue Jays Future
Toronto acquired Bateman, who’s the team’s 20th-ranked prospect, along with infielder Ty Southisene, the team’s 17th-ranked prospect, for Gausman.
Bateman was considered MLB-ready as he’s a glove-first outfielder and someone Toronto was high on. He doesn’t have much power but does have some contact and Blue Jays insider Keegan Matheson of MLB.com figured Bateman would be making his MLB debut soon.
“Bateman, 24, brings a similar profile, rarely hitting for any sort of power, but constantly making contact. In Triple-A this season, he’s hitting .312 with a .431 on-base percentage and 20 steals. Depending on which moves are coming between now and Monday’s 6 p.m. ET Deadline, Bateman could even be a candidate to join the Blue Jays soon for his MLB debut,” Matheson wrote.
Now, Bateman is up with the Blue Jays, and his MLB debut could come as soon as Friday.
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