When George Springer finally appeared to be close to returning from a tense left slant, the Blue Jays midfielder felt stiff in his right quad as he crossed the bases on Tuesday.
This new injury left him unable to train and now the slugger underwent an MRI. The Blue Jays await the test results, said Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo ahead of Toronto’s game against the Rangers on Wednesday at Globe Life Field.
“He had his hitting training and everything was going well,” said Montoyo. “When it came time to steer the bases, he felt stiff in his quadriceps and stopped. The day went by and he said, ‘Okay, it’s not a cramp,’ and then we went to do the MRI. ‘
Facing live pitching and swinging at full power was an important step in Springer’s recovery process, but this new injury complicates matters.
“It’s hard. You have to be careful, just like with the slant,” Montoyo said. “If you worsen it, it will take a long time. That’s the problem with those injuries. We have to be patient and careful. We know. How much you want to play.”
The Blue Jays will continue to use Randal Grichuk – who was 16-8 with a homerun before Wednesday’s game – in midfield, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on the left and Teoscar Hernandez on the right.