OAKLAND, Calif. – Edwin Encarnacion is hoping that he’ll need only two weeks or so to recover from a Grade 2 strain in his right quadriceps revealed during an MRI examination Sunday morning.
While Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said “probably, likely” when asked if his all-star slugger will need a trip to the DL, the news is still good for the club given how bad the injury looked when it happened Saturday night.
“It wasn’t too bad, it was a Grade 2, that made me feel happy,” said Encarnacion, who revealed the details of his injury after the team was evasive about the severity of his strain. “It’s going to take two weeks, maybe, depends on how I’m going to be day after day. We’ll see.”
Encarnacion felt a pop while beating out a double-play relay at first base in the first inning of a 5-1 loss to Oakland.
The Blue Jays claimed outfielder Nolan Reimold off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday and he’ll need a roster spot, though a wider readjustment may follow.
An extended absence for Encarnacion is one of the last things the already hobbled Blue Jays need right now. In 88 games he’s posted an OPS of .959 with 26 homers and 70 RBIs, earning him an all-star nod for the second straight season.
