Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Nathan Lukes is the latest injured player for the team, as he left Friday’s game versus the Cleveland Guardians.
Lukes hit a double as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the first inning. However, he came up limping and was immediately removed from the game, with Davis Schneider taking his place in the lineup.
The Blue Jays updated the media following the injury, saying that Lukes was removed for left hamstring discomfort, per Blue Jays reporter Shi Davidi.
It is too early to say how long this injury will keep Lukes out of the lineup. But the Blue Jays are dealing with tons of injuries in the early part of the season, and they cannot afford to lose a valuable contributor like Lukes, who has turned his season around in recent days.
After being diagnosed with vertigo, Lukes received treatment for his ailment, and he has started to hit better in recent days, pushing his season average up to .250. Considering he started the season going 3-for-32 at the plate, it has been nice to see him start hitting better as of late. However, this left hamstring injury may prove to keep him out of the lineup for a bit. Hopefully, it’s nothing serious, and he can get back to action as soon as possible.
Nathan Luke is an Important Piece for the Blue Jays
Despite the slow start at the plate this season for the Blue Jays, Lukes remains an important piece for the team. Last year, when the Blue Jays made it to the World Series, Lukes batted leadoff for the team much of the year, contributing both on offense and in the outfield, where he has a trusty glove and a powerful arm. This year has not been the start that Lukes had hoped for, but now that he has figured out the issue with vertigo, there is hope he can turn things around. Hopefully, this latest injury is nothing serious, as Blue Jays fans would love it if Lukes were able to avoid the IL.
Nathan Lukes Joins Long List of Injured Blue Jays Players
The Blue Jays have tons of injuries this year. Some of the injured Blue Jays position players include catcher Alejandro Kirk, outfielder Addison Barger, designated hitter George Springer, and outfielder Anthony Santander. On the pitching front, the Blue Jays have had many of their arms hit the IL this year, including Jose Berrios, Shane Bieber, Cody Ponce, Trey Yesavage, Yimi Garcia, and Bowden Francis.
The Blue Jays have started the season 10-14, and barring the outcome of Friday’s game against the Guardians, could drop to 10-15. They play in the stacked American League East, which is one of the best divisions in baseball, so they cannot afford to start the season with so many losses if they are going to turn things around and make the playoffs. Last year, the Blue Jays came within one run of winning the World Series, but this year they have had a slow start, and the insane amount of injuries that the team has dealt with thus far haven’t helped.
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