Ernie Clement stays out again, but John Schneider still expects the Blue Jays infielder to be back Sunday against Shota Imanaga.
Clement missed his second straight game Saturday as he continues to deal with left hip soreness. That turns a simple day off into a real short-term health story for one of Toronto's steadiest players.
The timing says a lot. Schneider said Clement will likely be available off the bench, which tells you the Blue Jays do not see this as a full shutdown.
That part matters. A player who can still be used late is usually dealing with something the club believes it can manage, not something that has completely taken him off the field.
Schneider also gave the most important line in the update. If all goes according to plan, Clement should be ready to start Sunday against Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga.
That is the kind of target date the Blue Jays needed. Clement has become too important to this lineup to leave his status hanging much longer than necessary.
And this is not some fringe bench piece getting patched around. Clement has turned into one of Toronto's most useful everyday players because of his contact bat, infield flexibility, and ability to keep innings moving.
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Toronto is trying to keep a small issue small
That is the real angle here. The Blue Jays are not acting like Clement needs a big recovery window. They are acting like they need to get him through a few days without letting the hip soreness grow into something worse.
The packed schedule explains the caution too. Clement's first missed game already came with the backdrop of Toronto trying to survive a 16-games-in-16-days stretch, which is exactly when nagging soreness can start piling up.
The good news is that Schneider's update sounded measured, not worried. Bench availability on Saturday and a likely return on Sunday is a lot better than hearing the club talk about tests, scans, or another injured list decision.
It also matters who the player is. Clement is the kind of infielder managers lean on because he can settle multiple spots on the dirt without making the lineup feel thin.
If he is back against Imanaga, Toronto gets one of its cleaner at-bats and one of its safer gloves right back at the start of the next game. That is a meaningful swing for a club that keeps trying to string together steadier baseball.
For now, the Blue Jays will take the small win. Ernie Clement is still sore, still out, but still close enough that John Schneider is already pointing to Sunday as the likely return date.
Should the Blue Jays sit Ernie Clement until his hip soreness is fully gone?
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