Toronto Blue Jays: Kendrys Morales likely to avoid DL
By Paul Taylor
After initial concerns about the extent of Kendrys Morales’ injury, he now has a chance of being able to pinch hit for the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.
After a near-disastrous start to the 2017 season, the Toronto Blue Jays are slowly but surely climbing back into playoff contention. Thursday night’s 7-2 win over the Seattle Mariners, gives them a record of 5-2 in their last seven games.
Keeping with the positive theme, the Blue Jays are now looking at some more good news. As reported by Sportsnet‘s Arden Zwelling, they are hopeful that Kendrys Morales will avoid the disabled list.
Morales’ injured hamstring is improving quicker than initially expected. As a result, Blue Jays’ manager John Gibbons indicated he may even be able to pinch hit in Friday night’s game versus the Mariners.
The Cuban Dominican native initially injured himself on Tuesday night, against the Cleveland Indians. After leaving the game with a tight left hamstring, he had a noticeable limp in the clubhouse.
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The Blue Jays’ confidence in Morales’ recovery is excellent news. The roster has already endured a ridiculous number of injuries, just one and a half months into this season.
In addition, the 33-year old has been one of the most productive members of the lineup so far in 2017. Entering Friday’s game, he is tied for the team lead in home runs (six), second in RBIs (20) and tied for second in hits (31).
There was some understandable frustration among fans, when Morales first signed his three-year, $33 million contract with the Blue Jays during the offseason. This angst was mostly prompted by the uncertain situation surrounding Edwin Encarnacion.
We all know how that saga eventually played out. However, at least Encarnacion’s replacement has lived up to the form which saw him win an AL Silver Slugger award as DH in 2015, while helping the Kansas City Royals win the World Series.
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Would you like to see Morales potentially pinch-hit on Friday night, or would you prefer the Blue Jays to be more cautious and give him longer to recover? Further, how have recent results influenced your belief in the Blue Jays’ chances of qualifying for the postseason for a third consecutive year? Share your thoughts in the comments section.