Toronto Blue Jays: Kevin Pillar adds to injury woes
By Paul Taylor
In a season where the Toronto Blue Jays have been beset by injury problems, Kevin Pillar added his name to the casualty list on Saturday.
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: A member of the Toronto Blue Jays‘ roster has suffered an injury.
In a season where the Blue Jays have struggled in the standings, this has not been helped by the number of players who have suffered injuries. Among those currently on the disabled list include; Marco Estrada, Aaron Sanchez, Josh Donaldson, Ryan Tepera and Troy Tulowitzki.
Now, you can potentially add Kevin Pillar‘s name to the casualty list, after he suffered an injury on Saturday against the Boston Red Sox. The injury happened when he made a diving catch to end the third inning.
As per the Blue Jays’ PR Twitter account, Pillar suffered a right sternoclavicular joint injury. He is now undergoing imaging and further evaluation.
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You assume this further evaluation will involve an MRI. While the extent of the injury is unknown at this stage, it’s safe to say he won’t be back until after the All-Star Break.
In theory, a mild strain will usually get better by resting the joint for a few days. However, you can imagine Pillar end up on DL, especially with how the Blue Jays’ luck has gone this season.
The problem will come if the injury is a moderate strain (or worse). Consider this extract from humpalphysicaltherapy.com, regarding recovery time:
"Moderate sprains may require some help to get the joint back into position. Your Physical Therapist at Humpal Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Centers may recommend a figure-eight strap wraps around both shoulders to support the SC joint. Patients with a moderate sprain may need to wear this type of strap for four to six weeks. The strap protects the joint from another injury and lets the injured ligaments heal and become strong again."
In truth, with the Blue Jays’ realistically out of the wild card race, they are under no pressure to rush Pillar back. Regardless, it must be frustratingly for a player who is enjoying a fine individual season.
The 29-year-old’s defence in the outfield has been near its usual standard. In addition, he continues to grow as a hitter.
Pending the outcome of further tests, the Blue Jays will obviously need to make a decision regarding who will take over Pillar’s spot in the lineup. After his injury on Saturday, he was replaced in the batting order by Dwight Smith Jr.
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What’s your take on Pillar’s play this season for the Toronto Blue Jays? Assuming he does spend time on the DL, who would you like to see replace him in the lineup, and why? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.