Toronto Argonauts running back Andrew Harris will have surgery for a torn pectoral muscle and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season, head coach Ryan Dinwiddie confirmed.
Harris is expected to have the surgery next Tuesday after getting a second opinion on the surgery. Initially, it was reported that Harris could miss four-to-six weeks but the injury was too severe to rehab.
"We hoped that it was just a minor tear that he could rehab but unfortunately it is too big of a tear," Dinwiddie said in an interview with Sportsnet.
Harris suffered the injury in the first quarter of Toronto's loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last week after getting tackled on the goal line. The 35-year-old was forced to leave the game and did not return.
In his first season with the Argonauts, Harris has 490 yards on 114 carries to go with 23 catches for 180 yards. The former Grey Cup MVP signed with Toronto after five seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
A.J. Ouellette will now move up to Harris' spot on the depth chart. The 27-year-old has 11 rushes for 57 yards in three games this season including 10 rushes for 47 yards against Hamilton.
"He's a great player. There are times when we're not blocking the proper people and he's making plays happen," Dinwiddie said on what Harris' loss means to the team. "We have a lot of faith in A.J. who played well last week and he's really played well, when he's had an opportunity to play. We're gonna miss Andrew, but I'm excited to see what Ouellette is gonna bring to the table."
The Argos' first game without Harris will be on Saturday against the Calgary Stampeders. Wide receiver Cam Phillips was also ruled out of the game after suffering a groin injury in the pre-game warmup against Hamilton, and will be sidelined for the next three to four weeks.
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