Jose Bautista Suffers Setback; Return To Toronto Blue Jays In Limbo
Is it just me, or has the word on Jose Bautista‘s wrist injury gotten a fair bit more cryptic over the weekend?
It feels a little bit like that, anyway, after it was revealed that the Toronto Blue Jays slugger experienced some discomfort in his ailing wrist while swinging a bat last week in Seattle, then had his rehab put on indefinite hold. Despite words like “hopeful” being thrown around Bautista’s injury, and manager John Farrell saying things like “We don’t feel and I don’t think Jose feels his season is over”, it’s hard to shake the feeling that well, Bautista’s season might just be over.
Maybe it’s just me taking a negative approach when it comes to Blue Jays injuries, but it might also be that as far as we knew, Bautista was at least on track for a return this time last week. If there was no timetable, at least progress was being made:
Jose Bautista took about 70 total swings, in air, off tee and front toss, at about 70-75% says Farrell. Felt better. No timeline yet for BP
— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) July 31, 2012
After the setback, though, what had hoped to be a relatively quick return when it was announced that there was no break in his wrist is now in limbo. Where it might have been assumed that Bautista was recovering and preparing for a return, the word is now “hopeful” that he’ll return this season at all. Disappointing, sure, but it’s more than justified – Bautista is still a player in his prime, but at 32 headed into the 2013 season, the slugger isn’t getting any younger, and there’s just no reason for the Blue Jays to even remotely rush him back and risk aggravating it to the point where it will require surgery and a longer rehab. The last thing the 2013 Blue Jays needs is for Bautista to come into camp with a potentially power-sapping question mark on his wrist.
In fact, it might even be a good thing if the team came right out and shut Bautista down for the rest of season, if rest if what the slugger needs to get his wrist right. Is there a point to getting Bautista back for say, a couple of weeks in September? Maybe, if the team was to go on a run and remain in the hunt for the final wild card spot during the stretch.
The 2012 Blue Jays isn’t likely to be that team, though, and it seems that there’s a lot more risk in getting Bautista back before the end of the season for some ABs and finishing on a good note, than just making sure the Blue Jays’ most important hitter can be at full strength for next season.
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5 Rants to “Jose Bautista Suffers Setback; Return To Toronto B...”
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If the JAYS get hot in August and are making things interesting in September, it means the current line-up is smoking hot.
I.E. No need for Bautista !
Still just 5 games out!
“but at 32 headed into the 2013 season, the slugger isn’t getting any older”
I would bet that he is in fact, going to get older….
Whoops – my bad!
Jose is a joke it is a sore wrist step up and be a man. if he had a real job by now he would be fired. he is a joke. Look at Mark Teixeira he got a shot in his wrist he was out 3 days the same A. Ramirez of the brewers he was out three days. Bautista is a joke.