It’s almost the start of the regular season, and the Blue Jays have six players on the IL. Four of the six are pitchers. The most recent player to get injured is Kevin Kiermaier. He fouled a ball off his knee and was removed from the game on March 23rd against the Detroit Tigers. Kiermaier has been diagnosed with a right knee contusion. With the regular season so close to starting, the Blue Jays must remain focused on their game plan and not let these minor injuries discourage them.
UPDATE: OF Kevin Kiermaier was removed from today's game with a right knee contusion.
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 23, 2024
Minor Injuries Accumulate For The Blue Jays
Blue Jays Injuries
This just keeps happening to Danny Jansen, and again, the #BlueJays are without one of the most important players on their roster.
Full story on Jansen's injury: https://t.co/Pup6xWiGD4
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) March 15, 2024
Danny Jansen is also recovering from a wrist fracture. It is unfortunate for Jansen to go on the IL again and continue to deal with wrist injuries. Jansen is an essential player in the Blue Jays lineup, especially when he remains healthy. Fortunately, the Blue Jays will give Alejandro Kirk more playing time, and Kirk has put up strong numbers in Spring Training.
Gausman is almost ready to return from a shoulder injury. Erik Swanson and Jordan Romano are both dealing with minor arm injuries. Alek Manoah is dealing with a minor shoulder injury. Luckily, all of the injuries have been minor and not severe. But at the same time, it is unlucky for the Blue Jays to have six players on the IL, which is so close to the start of the regular season. Especially as the Blue Jays are looking to have a bounce-back season. The Blue Jays have showcased many players in Spring Training who have put up good numbers.
They are fortunate that, as of now, many of their strong hitters are healthy. Unfortunately, it has put a minor dent in pitching for the Blue Jays, but the Blue Jays luckily have depth. They have many options, and Jays fans are grateful for that. It can be seen as an opportunity for other young players to shine and showcase their skills. Ricky Tiedemann and Bowden Francis are two pitchers who will get the chance to pitch as starters. With Gausman not 100 percent healthy yet and Manoah’s recent injury and shakiness in Spring Training, Both Tiedemann and Francis have gotten the nod. It will be compelling to see both of these pitchers pitch for the Blue Jays in the rotation. The Blue Jays have many talented young players on their roster.
Keep On Hustling
The two best things the Blue Jays can do as a clubhouse with these injuries is to keep moving forward. The Blue Jays are fortunate that their roster has depth. Many talented young players will not get the chance to showcase their skills right at the start of the season. It will be exciting to see all the injured players return. But for now, the Blue Jays have been able to move things around to make up for the players they have lost to injuries. The emergence of the Blue Jays young talent they possess continues to be apparent and compelling. It has also been helpful for times like these when faced with injuries.
Main Photo Credits: Dave Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
