Jesus Sanchez gave John Schneider a needed break Friday, because the Blue Jays avoided the worst-case result on his ankle.
Schneider said Sanchez sprained his right ankle during the game, but X-rays came back negative for a fracture. That shifts the story from long-term fear to short-term availability.
That matters because the scene looked rough. Sanchez made the catch in left field, crashed into the wall to end the top of the seventh, and stayed down before getting back up.
For Toronto, negative X-rays are the first win. An ankle sprain can still cost time, but this is a very different update than hearing the club found structural damage.
Sanchez has become a useful piece in this lineup, not just another outfield body. He is hitting .277 with a .760 OPS and 7 home runs in 213 at-bats this season.
That is why this one got attention right away. The Blue Jays have already spent too much of this season patching around missing bats and lineup holes, so another outfield injury would have hit hard.
Toronto also just got Daulton Varsho back on June 20, which makes Sanchez's status even more relevant to how Schneider can build the lineup over the next few days.
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Negative X-rays do not end the Blue Jays concern
The clean X-ray result does not mean Sanchez is automatically back the next day. A sprain still brings swelling, soreness and the question of how well he can run or plant in the field.
That is the part Toronto has to watch now. Sanchez plays the corners, and any outfielder dealing with a tender ankle can get exposed fast on reads, routes and throws. That puts the day-to-day recovery into sharper focus.
The timing is also lousy for the Blue Jays. They entered the weekend still trying to hold ground in the American League race, and this roster has not exactly had the luxury of shrugging off regulars.
Still, this update could have been much worse. Toronto is not talking about a fracture, surgery or an injured list move right now. It is talking about an ankle sprain and the next round of treatment.
For Blue Jays fans, that is the right read. Be relieved first, then wait on the swelling and the lineup card. Sanchez avoided the big damage, but Toronto still needs to see how quickly this ankle lets him get back on the field.
Will Jesus Sanchez avoid an injured list stint after this ankle scare?
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