The Toronto Blue Jays saw center fielder Brett Bateman leave their game against the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth inning. The club later announced that Bateman left the game with right hamstring tightness.
Bateman, 24, was one of two players Toronto received in the Kevin Gausman trade with the Chicago Cubs on August 2. He made his MLB debut not too long afterward and has since been a regular in center field.
Bateman has started 10 of their last 11 games, with eight in center field and two in right. He enters play on August 19 hitting .283 with a .653 OPS and a stolen base in his only attempt.
Brett Bateman Leaves Blue Jays Game with Right Hamstring Injury
Following the Blue Jays announcing an injury update, the Blue Jays broadcast went back to Brett Bateman’s last at-bat to see if there were signs of an injury. He grounded out to shortstop in the third inning. After the play, Bateman was shaking his right leg before grabbing his right hamstring.
Myles Straw pinch-hit for the rookie center fielder in the fifth inning, drawing a walk to load the bases. Toronto ended up capitalizing in the frame, scoring four times to turn a six-run deficit into a two-run one. After the inning, Straw took over in center field defensively.
A hamstring injury will be particularly troublesome for Bateman, whose game is predicated on speed. In 78.1 innings, he’s been worth +2 Defensive Run Saved and +1 Outs Above Average in center.
Bateman told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi that the hamstring tightened up in the fifth before his exit from the game. The outfielder is headed for an MRI, but said this hamstring injury is milder than ones he had previously experienced.
The MRI should reveal the extent of the injury. Blue Jays manager John Schneider doesn’t anticipate there will be a roster move ahead of their series finale against the Rays.
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