The Toronto Blue Jays shuffled the roster again ahead of tonight's game against Tampa Bay, confirming Jonatan Clase's foot injury is more than a passing scare.
Clase has been placed on the 10-day injured list with left plantar fasciitis, retroactive to July 21, confirming the issue behind his last-minute lineup scratch earlier this week.
That's a real blow given how well he'd been playing in his brief look, hitting .273 with two home runs across just nine games before the injury.
To fill the gap, Toronto recalled right-hander CJ Van Eyk and outfielder Yohendrick Piñango from Triple-A, both set to be active tonight.
Piñango returns to the majors hitting .267 with five home runs across 51 games in his previous stint, giving Toronto a real bat option in the outfield with Clase now sidelined.
Van Eyk has barely had time to make an impression in his limited big league look, posting a scoreless line over two innings in his lone appearance so far this season.
To make room, right-hander Lazaro Estrada was optioned back to Triple-A after a solid short stretch of his own, posting a 2.45 ERA across three appearances this season.
Why Clase's injury adds another layer to the outfield picture
Losing Clase for at least 10 days removes one of the few genuinely hot bats in a lineup that's ranked dead last in the majors in runs scored this season.
Piñango's return gives Toronto a reasonable replacement option, someone with actual big league at-bats already under his belt rather than a completely blind look.
It's a bit like losing your starting quarterback and turning to a backup who's actually started games before, not ideal, but far from a total scramble.
Does Piñango's return give Toronto enough offense to cover for Clase's absence, or does this lineup need more than a depth replacement at this point in the season?
Toronto continues its series against Tampa Bay tonight with a roster that's looked different practically every week amid a season full of setbacks.
Estrada's solid Triple-A-bound stint likely keeps him in the mix for another look before long, the same story that's defined this bullpen all year.
Will Yohendrick Piñango's recall help make up for losing Jonatan Clase to injury?
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