Blue Jays reliever Joaquin Benoit tears calf during brawl
Toronto Blue Jays reliever Joaquin Benoittore his calf during a benches-clearing brawl in a 7–5 loss to the New York Yankees on Monday, manager John Gibbons said.
Benoit was injured during the second scuffle between the teams, after Yankees pitcher Luis Severino hit Justin Smoak on the leg with a fastball. According to Sportsnet, Benoit was seen leaving on crutches, favoring his left leg.
Severino, Yankees manager Joe Girardi, bench coach Rob Thomson and pitching coach Larry Rothschild were all tossed from the game.
Benoit has been an effective setup man since being acquired from the Seattle Mariners near the trade deadline. Benoit allowed only one run in 23 2/3 innings since the trade and has a 3–1 record with a 2.81 ERA and 18 holds.
Toronto leads the wild card race in the American League with six games remaining in the season.
– Scooby Axson
