Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki's 2016 season took another turn for the worse Sunday. Manager John Gibbons said he suffered a "small little chip fracture" in his thumb, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.
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Tulowitzki Could Avoid Disabled List
Sunday, July 31
Smith said the team will observe how Tulowitzki "progresses" before deciding if the shortstop will head to the disabled list.
Tulowitzki already hit the disabled list this season after suffering a right quad strain in May. That was just the tip of the iceberg for the former All-Star.
Prior to his first stint on the DL, the shortstop was hitting .204/.289/.383 in 46 games. He did have eight home runs, but none of his other skills were showing up in the stat line. He has a long injury history and is now 31 years old, so the window for him to be an elite shortstop may have already closed. He is slashing .241/.308/.452 with 17 homers as of Sunday.
The Blue Jays have depth in the middle of their infield, though. Darwin Barney and Devon Travis will likely be asked to shoulder the load in Tulowitzki's absence.
If the Blue Jays are going to reach the postseason in the tight American League East race, Tulowitzki may have to play at least close to his usual standards. Their lineup is deep enough—with Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion—to survive without him, but a healthy Tulowitzki gives them more offense than most teams in the majors.
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