TORONTO – An MRI exam for Adam Lind’s right foot was discussed and decided on during the Toronto Blue Jays’ series in Oakland last weekend after his discomfort sharpened – steps taken without help from the slugger’s mother.
The course of treatment was detailed to Sportsnet amid the tempest triggered by his comments Wednesday in Anaheim, following the revelation of a fracture. “My mom wanted me to get an MRI, which I hadn’t had yet, because it wasn’t getting any better,” he said. “I asked for an MRI and it showed up.”
Multiple sources indicated that something was lost in translation, and what may have happened is Lind’s mother encouraged her son to take the exam after the team had raised the possibility. Such a scenario would certainly reflect better on the club, although it may be too late to change public perception.
Regardless, more clarity on the matter should come Friday when Lind visits a foot specialist in Charlotte for a second opinion. He also said doctors told him it would take 6-to-8 weeks to heal, although one source said the timeline may in fact begin when the injury first occurred, June 14 in Baltimore.
Either way, Lind will be placed on the disabled list Friday and first baseman Dan Johnson is expected to be brought up from triple-A Buffalo to fill in.
The fracture happened when Lind fouled a ball off his foot, and initial X-Rays and CT Scans were all negative. MRIs aren’t typical for such injuries. His foot was placed in a walking boot, slowly he improved and he returned to action five days later with a pinch-hit appearance in New York.
On June 23 he returned to the starting lineup with two hits, including a homer, in an 8-3 win over Yankees, went 3-for-5 three days later in a 7-0 win over the Chicago White Sox and was 2-for-3 a double against Milwaukee on July 2.
Following the game with Brewers, Lind told the team he wondered if the injury might be returning and after he doubled in a 4-1 loss to the Athletics on July 3, his discomfort picked up. He appeared in four games after that, going 0-for-11 before having the MRI on Tuesday in Anaheim.
“I wasn’t showing any improvement and I had enough, really,” Lind said. “I needed another exam than just an X-ray or a CAT Scan.”
