The Toronto Blue Jays are all set to reinstate Jose Reyes from the 60-day disabled list on Wednesday in time for their afternoon series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays, reports Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com.
Jose Reyes injury: Blue Jays SS expected to return Wednesday
The hottest team in baseball is just a day away from getting one of its biggest players back in the lineup.
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Reyes, 30, has been sidelined since April 12 with a severely sprained left ankle. He suffered the injury while sliding in to second base on a stolen base attempt in Kansas City.
Originally slated to return in mid-July, the All-Star shortstop has recovered much quicker than anticipated. Reyes appeared in seven rehab games between High-A and Triple-A over the last week, going an impressive 12-for-29 in that span. Any concerns that Reyes might be hesitant on the base paths were quickly put to rest, as the speedy infielder also swiped two bags.
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As we move towards the annual July 31 swapmeet, here's a primer for how to get the most out of the buildup to the big day. Manager John Farrell said Monday that Reyes is "not limited in anything that he can do," and should jump right back in to the leadoff spot when he returns on Wednesday. Reyes' return to the top of the order likely means that Melky Cabrera will drop down to fifth in the lineup, right behind the hot-hitting Adam Lind.
Reyes couldn’t ask for a better time to rejoin the Jays. While still in the AL East cellar, Toronto is coming off an 11-game winning streak -- and 14 wins in its last 17 -- putting the club a game above .500 on the year.
No corresponding roster move will be announced until right before the game on Wednesday. Munenori Kawasaki has filled in surprisingly well at shortstop over the last two months -- hitting .225/.337/.325 with his his first and only big-league home run -- but he may be the odd man out when it comes time to crunch the roster Wednesday afternoon.
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