The Toronto Blue Jays’ hopes for a postseason run in 2013 appeared to take a major hit Friday night when shortstop Jose Reyes left the game with an apparently serious ankle injury. As team officials wait to find out the extent of his situation, they should start considering possible replacements if it turns out to be a long-term absence.
MLB.com’s video showed that Reyes hurt his ankle while attempting a stolen base and sliding into second in the sixth inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals:
MLB Network analyst Dan Plesac indicated in a tweet his belief that the injury was serious:
#BlueJays Jose Reyes leaves on stretcher…. Looks like left foot/ankle area… Late slide into 2nd base bag. Not good. Looks serious.
— Dan Plesac (@Plesac19) April 13, 2013
Losing Reyes for any length of time would be a huge blow to Toronto. Despite the team’s 4-6 start, he had led the team with a .395 batting average and an American League-leading five stolen bases.
While the Blue Jays wait to find out about Reyes, who was a centerpiece acquisition this past offseason, they must start looking ahead in the event of a lengthy absence.
Click through to see three possible replacements for Reyes if he is forced to miss extensive time this season.