Toronto Blue Jays: Troy Tulowitzki scheduled to rejoin team next week
By Paul Taylor
As the Toronto Blue Jays continue their recent turnaround, they are about to get another boost with the imminent return of five-time All-Star Troy Tulowitzki.
Do you believe? With Friday’s 4-0 win over the Seattle Mariners, the Toronto Blue Jays have gone 9-4 in their last 13 games.
In the process, John Gibbons‘ men are slowly inching back into contention for the postseason. After a disastrous 2-11 start to the 2017 campaign, they are now just four games back of a wild card spot, entering Saturday’s action.
Of course, there’s still a long way to go, which can be a positive or a negative, depending on your perception. Regardless, one thing which can help the Blue Jays, is the return of some of their seemingly endless list of injured players.
Certainly, the casualty list makes for impressive reading in respect of the talent including; Russell Martin, Josh Donaldson, Aaron Sanchez and Kendrys Morales.
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However, at least the Blue Jays are about to receive a boost in respect of another noteworthy player currently missing from the roster. As reported by Sportsnet‘s Arden Zwelling, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki will start a minor league rehab assignment on Saturday, in Dunedin.
The plan is to then give Tulowitzki the day off on Sunday, before he plays in minor league games on Monday and Tuesday. Assuming everything goes smoothly, he will rejoin the Blue Jays on Wednesday, for their trip to Atlanta.
The 2005 seventh overall draft pick has been out of action since April 21, when he strained his right hamstring against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He suffered the injury, while running to third base on a wild pitch.
Before the hamstring strain, Tulowitzki was batting .263 through 16 games, with one home run and 10 RBI. This follows the 2016 campaign, when he produced a batting average of 253, while hitting 24 homers and 79 RBI in his first full season with the Blue Jays.
The Santa Clara, California native has enjoyed an impressive career in the Majors, with five All-Star games, two Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger awards. He hit his 200th home run in May last season and currently has the all-time MLB record for career fielding percentage by a shortstop.
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How much of a difference do you expect Tulowitzki’s return to make to the Blue Jays’ recent turnaround in results? Further, how confident are you that they can make the playoffs for a third consecutive year? Share your thoughts in the comments section.