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All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes will reportedly miss three months of action with the sprained ankle that he sustained against the Kansas City Royals on Friday.

Original reports had listed Reyes as out for between one and three months, but according to TSN’s Scott MacArthur, the shortstop will miss the full three months.

Reyes was just 10 games into his career with the Toronto Blue Jays, having spent the majority of his career with the New York Mets and last year with the Marlins.

What’s worse for the Jays was the hot start that Reyes was off to—hitting .395 with an on-base percentage of .465 and a major league-leading five stolen bases.

Now he’ll miss three months of action and won’t be available until the All-Star break, which comes as a bitter blow for Toronto’s chances of success in 2013.

The star shortstop was clearly devastated after the injury on Friday night, and he aired his frustration to reporters (per USA Today).

It is frustrating. I love baseball so much. I love to be with my teammates on the field and helping my ballclub. Now I know I’m not going to be there for a little while. It’s kind of disappointing for me. I’ve been through some injuries in my career. I don’t like that. Injuries are part of the game and I have to deal with it.

CBS Sports reports that general manager Alex Anthopoulos will likely look to the trade market for help at shortstop given Reyes’ injury. For now, the Blue Jays called up Munenori Kawasaki for infield help up the middle, but Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports notes that Maicer Izturis will be the primary fill-in for the next three months.

Either way, the injury is a bitter blow for the Blue Jays, who must now cope without the skills, leadership and experience of their four-time All-Star.

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Jose Reyes slid awkwardly into second base, and the result has the Toronto Blue Jays questioning if their season is sliding away. Reyes was carted from the field after what appeared to be a grim injury and is headed for scans on the ankle.

Jose Reyes injures his ankle on an awkward slide into 2nd. #bluejays nation hods its breath.

— Dan Shulman (@DShulman_ESPN) April 13, 2013

This is definitely a serious injury for Reyes, a speed player who was making the transition to both playing on turf and playing in the American League. Reyes has dealt with leg injuries, including a history of chronic hamstring problems and a knee injury, both while with the Mets. He has come back from both without losing significant speed, though many question if he’s had to play it safe. His range and non-steal base-running numbers do not back that theory up.

Early word is that Reyes has a severe sprain. He will have additional scans to determine the extent of the damage:

John Gibbons called Reyes injury “nightmare” while Alex A says estimate is out 1 to 3 months depending on MRI results. Reyes going on DL

— Tony Ambrogio (@SNTonyAmbrogio) April 13, 2013

The worst-case scenario is that the ankle is fractured or there is a severe sprain, so the fact that he does not have a break is not necessarily good news. Either possibility would cost Reyes a significant portion of the season and could require surgery. A fracture of either of the lower leg bones (tibia and fibula) has quite a range of possibilities, depending on the location and severity.

An example of this type of injury would be Derek Jeter‘s playoff injury from last season. Jeter needed surgery to fix the tibia and is still working to make it back to the Yankees lineup. 

With damage to the ligaments, this is not a “less than” scenario. Fractures tend to heal cleanly and can be checked easily. With ligaments and tendons, it is more difficult to fix and to monitor. Examples of this kind of injury include Buster Posey, who missed four months after having his ankle damaged in a collision at home plate but returned the following year showing no issues.

A shortstop with a more similar issue is Stephen Drew. Drew injured his ankle (warning: graphic image in link) on a slide, awkwardly impacting the catcher and breaking the ankle as well as doing soft tissue damage. Drew was able to return, but scouts regularly say that he still appears to favor the leg and may have lost some range.

The best-case scenario for Reyes would have been that this is a mild sprain or strain. While he would miss time with it, a relatively straightforward sprain of Grade II or less would usually require little more than a minimum stay on the DL at the top end. 

The Blue Jays medical staff will perform manual tests and X-rays. Most stadiums, including the newly renovated Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, have X-ray facilities on-site, often steps from the clubhouse. As you can see in the picture on the right, the Indiana Pacers have a common setup. The doors on the left are to their locker room and the door on the right is the X-ray machine.

The Jays medical staff will be assisted by the Royals team physicians as well. It is customary for vistiors to use the home team’s physicians, as team doctors seldom travel. This is common, and if needed, Reyes would be sent back to Toronto for further diagnosis and treatment. It is also possible that Reyes could see a physician like Dr. James Andrews or more likely, Dr. David Altchek, the Mets team physician who is one of the top consulting surgeons in sports.

This is another example of why the seemingly eternal debate about whether it is safer to slide headfirst or feet-first is truly moot. We have already seen a headfirst slide go wrong, costing Ryan Ludwick at least the first half of the 2013 season and perhaps longer after needing surgery to fix his shoulder.

Now, Reyes’ injury reminds us that one bad slide, no matter which part goes first, can be dangerous.

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If you were already starting to get a little concerned about the current performance of the Toronto Blue Jays, things just got much worse today. 

Newly acquired Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes had to be carted off of the field during Friday’s game against the Kansas City Royals after injuring his left ankle while stealing second base shortly after delivering a two-run single in the sixth inning.

Reyes, who was in obvious pain after the injury, grimaced and pulled his shirt over his face as medical officials tended to him.

The Blue Jays, whom many predicted to be the favorite to win the American League East, were already off to an incredibly slow start this season with a 3-6 record, good for fifth place in the division.

Reyes, who was their hottest hitting player, was off to a great start this season, hitting .412/.487/.559 with a home run, two doubles, three RBI, five runs scored and four stolen bases before going down. 

Not only was he their hottest bat, but aside from Melky Cabrera, there is also no other player on the team batting over .300.  Their heavy-hitting sluggers, led by Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, have a combined three home runs in 58 at-bats.

If this wasn’t bad enough, Toronto’s newly redesigned starting rotation (with the exception of J.A. Happ) is also off to a horrible start:

R.A. Dickey: 0-2, 8.44 ERA, 10.2 IP, .326 average, 1.97 WHIP

Josh Johnson: 0-1, 11.05 ERA, 7.1 IP, .421 average, 2.73 WHIP

Mark Buehrle: 0-0, 10.24 ERA, 9.2 IP, .326 average, 1.76 WHIP

Brandon Morrow: 0-1, 5.59 ERA, 9.2 IP, .357 average, 1.97 WHIP

J.A. Happ: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.1 IP, .059 average, 0.75 WHIP

The Blue Jays and general manager Alex Anthopoulos sent shock waves through the baseball world this offseason when they acquired Reyes, Johnson, Buehrle, John Buck and Emilio Bonifacio from the Miami Marlins in exchange for a group of prospects, Yunel Escobar and Henderson Alvarez.

They also followed that up by signing Melky Cabrera to a two-year, $16 million deal and acquired reigning National League Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey (along with Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas) in exchange for the previously mentioned John Buck and prospects Travis d’Arnaud, Noah Syndergaard and Wuilmer Becerra.  The Blue Jays also agreed to a three-year extension with Dickey as part of the deal. 

Adding those pieces to a team that already featured hitters Bautista, Encarnacion, Brett Lawrie, Colby Rasmus and Adam Lind and starting pitchers Ricky Romero, Morrow and Happ gave the Blue Jays the most complete and imposing lineup on paper going into the 2013 season.

So with such a talented team on paper, can the Blue Jays overcome the Reyes injury after an already slow start to the season?

Of course they can.  It’s way too early to start predicting this team will not perform as the season goes on.  They just have way too many tools and talented players to not come out of their current slump.

Sure, they’ll lose a great hitter and speed at the top of the order, but with veteran infielder Maicer Izturis looking to fill in with Reyes out, they still don’t have to be too concerned about having a major gap on the field or in the lineup. 

And do I even need to say anything about the other bats in their lineup?  Sure, they’re off to a rather slow start, but there is just way too much power and talent in this group for them not to rebound sooner than later. 

Their pitching staff may be a bit of concern, but it’s also not too late for them to turn it around.  Buehrle is a good pitcher and should rebound soon.  Johnson is a talented guy, and though he’s had his difficulties in the past, he’s bound to find his form and have a decent year.  And while Dickey had an amazing 2012 season, I don’t think anyone expected him to match his success from last season, though putting up decent numbers is bound to happen.

Perhaps this team is just struggling due to the high expectations everyone had out of them for this year.  Chemistry does go a long way and is evident if you look at the San Francisco Giants as a team.  And though there are plenty of great names in this lineup, combining a bunch of players who are not used to playing together doesn’t always seem to work, as evidenced by the Miami Marlins of 2012.

It’s unfortunate that Reyes went down.  He’s a great player and an exciting guy to watch, but the Blue Jays should be okay without him for a while, even if his injury does keep him out of the lineup for a long period of time. There is just way too much talent for them not to perform.

What do you think?  Can they come out of their current slump?  Let me know your thoughts.

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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.

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The Toronto Blue Jays pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins this offseason in the hopes that the players acquired would help lead them to their first postseason berth since 1993.

Those hopes may have taken a severe blow on Friday night.

In the top of the sixth inning of the Blue Jays’ game against the Kansas City Royals, the Jays took a 6-4 lead following an Emilio Bonifacio run-scoring double.

Shortstop Jose Reyes—one of the principal figures in the team-changing trade for the Blue Jays—followed with a single up the middle to drive in two more runs, giving the Jays an 8-4 lead.

Reyes, known for his great speed, took off for second to put another runner in scoring position. Reyes stole the bag safely, but at tremendous cost.

He was in immediate pain and clutching his ankle in agony after the steal. Reyes was eventually carted off the field.

Reyes was off to a brilliant start with his new team, hitting .395 with five RBI and five stolen bases. He was everything the Blue Jays wanted at the top of their batting order.

Considering the way that Reyes was clutching his leg in pain, it would appear that he could be out of action for an extended period of time. If that’s the case, did the Blue Jays’ hopes of a postseason berth just fly out the window?

Well, not necessarily, but it definitely doesn’t help matters much.

The Blue Jays as currently constituted have weapons. Melky Cabrera has heated up of late and they have the versatile Maicer Izturis who can fill in at short for now. However, Izturis is already taking the place of Brett Lawrie, who is currently rehabbing in extended spring training. Lawrie could be back in 10 days or so, but it leaves the Blue Jays razor-thin in the infield.

The absence of Reyes and Lawrie from the left side of the infield is without question a huge blow. In addition, Adam Lind is struggling with a .136 average and Edwin Encarnacion is also hobbling along with a .132 average in the early going.

Reyes was absolutely the sparkplug for a team that was hitting a collective .240 before Friday night. You bet his absence from the lineup long-term puts a damper on postseason hopes.

General manager Alex Anthopoulos and manager John Gibbons will no doubt be waiting rather impatiently for the full diagnosis on Reyes’ ankle and then make plans accordingly.

But with a roster already facing injuries and slow starts, it couldn’t have been worse news.

The Blue Jays’ odds of winning the World Series at the beginning of the year were right up there with the likes of the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers and Washington Nationals.

If Reyes is indeed out for a lengthy period of time, the Blue Jays won’t be worrying about a World Series—they’ll just be trying to stay afloat.

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As many of us know, the Toronto Blue Jays have lofty expectations this season. Whether it be from the odds in Vegas to the chatter around the league to the success-starved fans, everyone agrees that the Blue Jays should make the playoffs this season.

With many fair-weather fans joining the fray in Toronto, it would help to give them a little more information about the team, especially regarding the new players on the squad.

This piece will look at all of the starting offensive players and discuss their main strengths and what they bring to the Blue Jays.

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The Toronto Blue Jays finally get their much-anticipated season rolling today against the Cleveland Indians. And with that, the scrutiny will begin on whether or not drastically revamping the roster will result in a playoff spot.

Over the summer, the team added numerous pitchers, infielders and outfielders to create what many think is the best roster in the American League East. And quite possibly one of the best in Major League Baseball.

Adding reigning National League Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey, World Series champion Mark Buehrle and 2011 NL batting champ Jose Reyes, among others, adds a lot of pedigree to the team. But how will this influx of talent translate for the Blue Jays?

With all the hype the team is receiving, and the expectations many fans have, the team is going to have to do very well for people to see this season as an accomplishment.

There is no doubt the team is great on paper. And compared to previous years, it has the depth to handle a few injuries throughout the year.

But what will make the 2013 season a success?

First and foremost, it is important to have realistic expectations. Blue Jays fans hope to see their team in the World Series, but let’s take small steps to get to that goal.

The first step in getting there: making the playoffs.

As we saw last year, the Blue Jays were able to put together a great spring training (24-7-1), which led to the idea they were ready to make a push for a playoff spot. Ultimately, that did not happen and everyone was disappointed.

The same thing is happening this year.

Everyone is expecting a guaranteed playoff spot and a push to the World Series. It may happen, but are we just setting ourselves up for failure? Should the goals of the team, and the fans, be to just make the playoffs?

Buehrle realizes the Blue Jays are a very strong team but also need to go out there and prove it, he told Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star last week. 

This team, I think, is better (than the ’05 White Sox) on paper, but again we have to go out there and play 162 games and try and get to the postseason. If you asked me in spring training ’05 and now, on paper, I think this team’s better.

Most importantly, Buehrle knows that making the postseason is the number one goal. Coming from a veteran guy who has made it there before, he knows what he is talking about.

The Blue Jays have the team, the talent and the capability to be able to do damage in the American League. They have the arms and the bats to be really dangerous. And when both are on, the Blue Jays could be lethal.

But, like last year, the team and fans have created such high hopes. As good as it is for baseball in Toronto, it may not be fair to the team by the end of the season.

The Blue Jays seem like a lock to make the playoffs. Even though nothing in baseball is guaranteed, that is about as far as we should peg them. Once they are able to get there, then the talk can begin about winning the World Series.

If the team is able to make the playoffs, everyone should be happy. Considering the Blue Jays have not made the playoffs in the last 20 years, doing that is a great accomplishment. Making it to the postseason should be the meter of success.   

Anything more than that, is an added bonus.

Is it World Series or bust for the Blue Jays this season? Share what you think below.

Follow @TOGiffin

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In this day and age, home runs get the most “ooh’s” and “aah’s” at baseball games from spectators. Fans come to the ballpark to see guys like Prince Fielder and Giancarlo Stanton hit mammoth tater shots that come close to reaching Mars’ orbit.

But there’s more than one dynamic to a baseball game. The stolen base is a key aspect to any successful player and team. Of course, players who can hit the long ball, and steal some bases are exponentially more valuable than the one-dimensional player. All-Stars such as Ryan Braun and David Wright are some examples of sluggers who are also bag-swipers.

In 2012, rookie sensation Mike Trout paced the Major Leagues with 49 stolen bases (the Padres’ Everth Cabrera seemingly came out of nowhere to lead the National League with 46 bags). Braun had his second consecutive 30/30 season (30 home runs, 30 stolen bases). And Jose Reyes reached 40 stolen bases for the fifth time in his career (he had 39 in 2011).

So as we sprint towards the start of the 2013 season, here is a look at who will likely be the tops in the stole base category when all is said and done.

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For a team that’s probably going to finish last in the National League East for the third consecutive year, the Miami Marlins don’t have many issues thus far. 

Ricky Nolasco has already been named the Opening Day starter—shocking. Jacob Turner, Nathan Eovaldi and Henderson Alvarez are still slated to follow Nolasco while Wade LeBlanc continues to make his case to be the team’s No. 5 starter after throwing four shutout innings Sunday against the Atlanta Braves. 

Among position players, second baseman Donovan Solano has hit .480 in 25 at-bats and Casey Kotchman is batting .435 in 23 at-bats. Kotchman is trying to win a spot on the team which, in his case, comes with the designation of starting first baseman if Logan Morrison isn’t ready when the season begins.

According to Morrison’s agent, Fred Wray, Morrison could be playing by April 15 after having surgery to repair a torn patella tendon in his right knee.

Meanwhile, with Team USA at the World Baseball Classic, slugging outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is hitless in seven at-bats, but he’s broken a windshield with a home run during batting practice.

Stanton’s teammate, closer Steve Cishek has two scoreless appearances, which includes the biggest out of Sunday’s 9-4 win against Canada when Cishek induced Tim Smith to ground out to second baseman Brandon Phillips to end the eighth inning with the bases loaded while preserving a one-run lead.

And as far as the kiddies go, they have impressed as well. Future ace Jose Fernandez struck out two in two scoreless innings in his only spring training appearance while the Marlins’ other star prospect, Christian Yelich, has been scorching hot as he’s batted .375 with three home runs and 11 RBI in 32 at-bats. Yelich has been so good, it’s prompted first-year manager Mike Redmond to sing his praises to MLB.com:

I’ll tell you, man, I love putting him in that lineup. Every opportunity I have to put him in there, I get him in there. He gives you a great at-bat. It doesn’t matter who he faces. Believe me, we go around and around [on where he’ll start the season]. That’s something that we’ll have to talk about.

But not everything has been rosy with the Marlins…

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It turns out those despondent Miami Marlins fans feeling betrayed have company.

According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, both shortstop Jose Reyes and pitcher Mark Buehrle are angry with the franchise after being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. Though nothing was formally in writing, Rosenthal is reporting that both men had a verbal agreement with the Marlins that said they would not be traded.

Via Fox Sports:

Shortstop Jose Reyes and left-hander Mark Buehrle, two of the five Marlins headed to Toronto in a pending blockbuster, are upset that the team broke verbal promises to them regarding trades, according to major-league sources.

As it stands, the Marlins have a team policy against no-trade clauses, so they were not contractually obligated to keep the two players. Nevertheless, this opens up yet another can of ethical issues in a week full of them for Miami owner Jeffrey Loria. 

First and foremost, Reyes’ and Buehrle’s frustration cannot come as a surprise. Supposedly acquired to usher in a new era of Miami baseball, the stars were exiled to Toronto on Tuesday after just one disappointing season.

While it’s easy to understand Reyes’ and Buehrle’s perspective and to vilify Loria, it’s also a little hard to feel sorry for either player. Both men took above-their-worth contracts from a desperate franchise looking to make a splash.

That splash wound up being a season filled to the brim with disappointment. The high-priced team went just 69-93, drew mediocre attendance that ranked 18th in Major League Baseball and featured a manager who started his tenure with mass controversy.

If you’re looking for a reason this roster is depleted, look no further than those three areas. 

Let’s also not act like Reyes and Buehrle are wide-eyed schoolchildren who had no idea whom they were getting involved with. The Marlins have gone on one-year spending sprees followed by roster purges in the past, most notably after winning the World Series in 1997. 

While that was with a different ownership group, it goes without saying that Loria’s time with the Montreal Expos speaks for itself. 

The lesson here, as always, is to get exactly what you want in writing. If Reyes and Buehrle loved Miami so much and wanted to stay for the duration of their contract, they should have told their agents to refuse to sign until a no-trade clause was added.

Instead, the Marlins were in no way obligated to keep their word, they didn’t, and now we have one of the uglier messes in recent baseball history on our hands. 

In Loria’s business dealings, evidently, spoken promises can be broken. It seems that Marlins fans, the city of Miami and these two players are just finding that out the hard way. 

Follow @tylerconway22

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