Toronto Blue Jays: Russell Martin suffers setback in recovery
By Paul Taylor
The Toronto Blue Jays have been forced to send Russell Martin to Florida, for some rehab work on his oblique strain.
It’s fair to say this has been a frustrating season for the Toronto Blue Jays and their fans. In this respect, the latest news regarding Russell Martin probably helps sum this up.
As per a tweet from the Toronto Sun‘s Rob Longley, Martin won’t be back any time soon. Longley reported that the catcher has gone to Florida for some rehab work, on his left oblique strain.
This will understandably be considered a setback for the Blue Jays, who were hoping Martin would return within 10 days. He was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Saturday, following an MRI.
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The four-time All Star suffered the oblique strain on Friday versus his former team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. The injury occurred during his first at-bat, after hitting a ground ball.
Martin warmed up ahead of the second inning, but told the training staff he would be unable to continue. This is the second time he has been placed on the DL this season, after previously missing time in May, with a left shoulder issue.
In truth, despite the Blue Jays’ hopes regarding the 34-year-old’s injury, they knew a longer absence was always a possibility. As reported by the Toronto Star‘s Laura Armstrong following the injury, manager John Gibbons said:
"“Who knows how long (oblique strains) take. He’s a little different. He’ll push himself to get back as quick as possible. But if he’s hurt, you know he’s hurting.”"
At this stage, putting a timeline on how long Martin will be out of action is not possible. As a general rule though, a cautious approach usually sees an oblique strain taking at least three weeks to recover from.
In general, this has been a tough season for the Ontario native, both individually and as a teammate. He is on course for the second-worst batting average and RBI of his career, while also being set to miss the postseason for the first time since 2010.
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Every time we think the Blue Jays have no chance at the postseason, they drag themselves back into the race – and vice versa. As of today, how confident are you that they will qualify for a Wild Card spot? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.