Matt Chapman was placed on the 10 day IL following last Sunday’s afternoon game against the Cleveland Guardians. Chapman left in the sixth inning with an inflamed right right middle finger. This could be a tough blow to the Toronto Blue Jays as they have high Wild Card hopes.
Matt Chapman Placed on 10 Day IL
The 30-year-old hitting .248 this season with 15 home runs and 50 RBI. He’s having a solid offensive season this year where he has only missed six games. Hitting primarily in the seven spot, he gives the back end of the lineup a great boost which has helped them score more runs this season.
His offense is important, however it’s his defense that the Blue Jays will miss more. He’s a reliable fielder with a great arm. He has a .967 fielding percentage, which teeters right around the average in the MLB. He’s an all-around solid player that can be seen as a glue-guy for the Blue Jays. He’ll miss at least nine games in this stretch until he can be activated again from his middle finger sprain.
AL Wild Card Race
How does this actually affect the Blue Jays? They sit two and a half games back trailing the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers. The Tampa Bay Rays hold the first spot, where they have a five and a half game lead. Any injuries hurt a team coming down the stretch, but it hurts even more to lose a player who has only missed six games all year. His consistency this season has been a very vital role in the Blue Jays success.
With only 30 games left remaining in the season, there are no games to give away for any team, but especially the Blue Jays. They’ll need him to get back and healthy as soon as this 10 day recovery period is over to help maximize their Wild Card hopes.
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