Blue Jays' Nathan Lukes Set for MRI After Leaving Game with Hamstring Injury
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Nathan Lukes of the Toronto Blue Jays led off the bottom of the first inning of Friday's game with a double, but promptly exited the game in the loss to the Cleveland Guardians.
Davis Schneider replaced him on second base and played left field while Jesús Sánchez moved to right field, replacing Lukes.
Shortly after he left the game, MLB.com's Keegan Matheson reported that he left the game due to hamstring discomfort. The severity is unkown but if he missed any sort of time, this will be another low blow to the Blue Jays.
Nathan Lukes Update
Thankfully, Manager John Schneider said the injury "felt cramp-like," so there's hope that it's not serious. Matheson reported that Lukes will have an MRI on his left hamstring, and there should be an update tomorrow. If he misses any time, not only will Toronto add to its injury list yet again, but the would be missing another everyday player.
The 31-year-old spent his first full MLB season with Toronto last season after nine seasons primarily spent in the minor leagues. Through 135 games, Lukes batted .255/.323/.407 with a dozen homers, 65 RBI, and struck out just 60 times. After a successful first full MLB season, Lukes continued his strong hitting into this year.
He's batting .250 with four doubles and eight RBI. He is a primary right fielder, but can play both other outfield positions. If he misses any time, it just makes Toronto's injury situation even worse.
The pitchers who are missing time have been well documented, but the position players are starting to stack up. George Springer, Addison Barger, and Anthony Santander have already been on the injured list for varying times, and that's just the outfield.
If it were just cramps, he could be back in the lineup on Saturday, but that won't be known until then. At this point, the Blue Jays can't afford any more injuries. Not only do they have a plethora of them already, but the team is falling fast.
Entering Saturday, Toronto is 10-15 and in fourth place in the American League East. If the Boston Red Sox weren't off to a putrid start, the Blue Jays would be easily in the bottom of the division. Despite the record and injuries, Toronto still has a solid offense.
They're second in the American League in batting average, fourth in doubles but first in strikeouts. The groundwork has been laid, and was seen last season, but the injuries have plagued this season more than anything. Time will tell for Lukes. But Toronto can't afford to lose another starter.
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Jeffrey is a sports writer located in Louisville, Kentucky, with a passion for sports, writing, and storytelling. He has hundreds of published articles across various platforms, including Kentucky Today, The Baptist Courier, FanSided, and more. Jeffrey is a senior at Indiana University Southeast pursuing a B.S. in Journalism/Media with a Minor in Writing. He has a beautiful wife, dog, and firstborn child on the way.