ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Aledmys Diaz was using crutches and wearing a walking boot after spraining his left ankle while legging out an infield hit in the top of the fifth inning of Sunday’s series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Diaz stepped awkwardly on first base with his left foot and fell to the ground a couple of steps later. The Blue Jays shortstop didn’t put any weight on his ankle afterwards and required assistance of team trainers, a golf cart and a wheelchair as he left Tropicana Field.
X-rays revealed no fracture, but the club scheduled an MRI on Diaz to determine the severity of the injury. In the meantime, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. replaced Diaz in the game at shortstop.
“We’ll get that all checked out,” manager John Gibbons said. “Hopefully it’s not too bad.”
Should the Blue Jays place Diaz on the disabled list, they could recall Devon Travis or Richard Urena from triple-A. Though both players were recently optioned to the minors, they don’t have to stay down for 10 days in the case of an injury. An off day Monday means the Blue Jays don’t have to rush their decision.
Diaz’s ankle sprain was initially reminiscent of the injury that sidelined another Blue Jays shortstop last summer. Troy Tulowitzki’s 2017 season ended when he stepped on C.J. Cron’s foot at first base and injured his right ankle July 28. This time, Diaz was racing Rays starter Chris Archer to the base, but Cron was again in the opposing lineup as the Rays’ designated hitter.
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