Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista was forced to leave the first game of Tuesday’s double-header against the New York Yankees and was placed on the disabled list shortly after the teams’ nightcap. 

Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi has the news:

Although Bautista has seen his slugging percentage drop for the third season in a row, the four-time All-Star is still in the midst of a very productive year at the plate, hitting .259/.357/.499 with an OPS of .856, 28 home runs, 82 runs and 73 RBI through 117 games. 

He’s ranked 10th in the American League in OPS, fifth in runs scored, fifth in HRs and third in walks. In the last four seasons, the former 20th-round pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates finished fourth in MVP voting in 2010 and third in 2011.

So, yeah, removing his bat from the Jays lineup is quite the blow for John Gibbons’ squad. 

Nevertheless, Toronto is 16.5 games out in the AL East and 15 out in the wild-card race. The postseason is virtually out of the question at this point, so this gives the squad a good chance to evaluate some younger guys on a daily basis.

Former top prospect Anthony Gose, 22, and 24-year-old Kevin Pillar figure to get the biggest increases in playing time. But with Colby Rasmus and Melky Cabrera both already on the DL, Toronto may also turn to someone like Moises Sierra in Triple-A. 

Jose Bautista’s injury doesn’t sound too severe, but for now, the Blue Jays are going to get a good look at their future in the outfield. 

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