Toronto Blue Jays: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. injury sums up season

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. suffered an injury during the Toronto Blue Jays’ game on Sunday in Chicago and is probably headed to the disabled list.

This has undoubtedly been a nightmare year for the Toronto Blue Jays. Pretty much anything that could go wrong has.

To sum this up, even when things go right, they still seem to go wrong. Take Sunday’s game in Chicago as an example.

The Blue Jays were on their way to completing an impressive comeback win against the White Sox. However, in a season where victories have been tough to come by, they weren’t even allowed to entirely enjoy this particular one.

That’s because the game was overshadowed by an injury to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the top of the ninth inning. The incident happened after he blasted a hit up the middle and attempted to avoid a tag while sliding in at second base.

The pain was evident from the look on the 24-year-old’s face and he had to be helped off the field by the Blue Jays’ training staff. Almost immediately, there were concerns about the severity of the injury.

Afterwards, MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm reported that Gurriel Jr. had been diagnosed with a left knee contusion and left ankle sprain. Initial X-rays of the knee and ankle were negative for a fracture.

Chisholm added that the Cuban native will undergo an MRI of both the knee and ankle in Oakland on Monday, to further evaluate the soft tissue. While the injury is likely nothing substantial — he wasn’t wearing a wrap or brace on his leg following the game — the odds are he is still headed to the disabled list.

Manager John Gibbons discussed the injury with the assembled media afterwards. As reported by Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling, Gibbons said:

"“It looked like it was something very serious but he’s moving around okay. I’m sure it’ll tighten up on him and swell up on him. I think it’s already swelling, his ankle.”"

Of course, this is a shame for Gurriel Jr., the team and fans alike. He has been one of the few bright spots this season.

This has been best exemplified by the right-hander’s prowess with the bat. On Saturday, he had set a team record with 10 consecutive multi-hit games.

Making this accomplishment even more impressive, was what was achieved on a league-wide level. Gurriel Jr. became the first rookie to have 10 straight multi-hit games, since Shoeless Joe Jackson in 1911.