The Toronto Blue Jays have made a roster move, placing infielder Santiago Espinal on the 10-day injured list and recalling infielder/outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. from Triple-A Buffalo.
Espinal, who has been a valuable utility player for the Jays this season, suffered a left hip flexor strain during Friday’s game against the Boston Red Sox. The move to the IL is retroactive to June 19th, meaning Espinal will be eligible to return on June 29th if he is healthy enough to do so.
In Espinal’s absence, the Jays will likely turn to Gurriel Jr. to fill the void. Gurriel Jr. has spent most of the season in Triple-A, where he has been tearing the cover off the ball. In 21 games with Buffalo, he has hit .500 with six home runs and 16 RBI.
Gurriel Jr. has been a bit of a disappointment at the major league level this season, hitting just .188 with two home runs and five RBI in 35 games. However, he has shown flashes of the potential that made him a highly-touted prospect when he signed with the Jays out of Cuba in 2016.
The Jays are hoping that Gurriel Jr. can provide some much-needed offensive firepower to a lineup that has struggled to score runs in recent weeks. The team has lost six of its last seven games and has fallen to fourth place in the American League East.
The Jays are also hoping that Gurriel Jr.’s versatility will be an asset. He can play both infield and outfield positions, which gives manager Charlie Montoyo some flexibility in his lineup construction.
The move to bring back Gurriel Jr. also means that infielder/outfielder Breyvic Valera, who was called up from Buffalo when Espinal went on the IL, will likely be sent back down.
Overall, the Jays are hoping that this roster move will help them turn things around and get back on track. With a tough stretch of games coming up against the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays, they will need all the help they can get.
