NEW YORK — Jose Bautista was worried his injury was worse.
The star slugger landed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday but was relieved to learn there’s no structural damage in his ailing left wrist. He thinks he could return to Toronto’s lineup as soon as he’s eligible, though manager John Farrell said it’s too early to tell.
“The last thing that we want is to push this to the point of any kind of relapse or the potential for any other damage that might be incurred if he’s not fully ready to go,” Farrell said. “So we can fully appreciate his eagerness, but we’ll monitor this closely daily as we go through at least these first 15 days.”
Bautista left Monday night’s loss to the New York Yankees after feeling pain in his wrist on an eighth-inning swing that produced a long foul ball. X-rays were negative and the Blue Jays said the All-Star right fielder had an MRI on Tuesday that revealed inflammation. Bautista called the injury a strain.
“Just as I was finishing my swing I felt something weird around my wrist, and on the recoil is when I felt sharp pain,” said Bautista, who had started all 90 games this season before Tuesday night. “So obviously a little scary at the time. You can’t help but think the worst.
“I thought I had torn something or maybe broken my wrist, but that’s not the case and I’m happy to know that.”
Bautista wore a brace on his wrist as he answered questions from a pack of reporters in the center of Toronto’s clubhouse.
“The only thing that I can think of is I held on with both hands maybe longer than I usually do, and maybe my wrist got turned in a direction that it never gets turned,” he said. “That just maybe put too much stress in the area and maybe kind of hyperextended it.
“Just one of those freak things that you can’t control or predict. It’s just unfortunate that it happened at such an important part of the season and such an important game,” Bautista added. “It’s going to be tough to sit in the dugout.”
To fill Bautista’s roster spot, the Blue Jays (45-45) called up speedy outfielder Anthony Gose from Triple-A Las Vegas. A left-handed hitter, he was expected to start Wednesday against right-hander Hiroki Kuroda.
Ben Francisco replaced Bautista in the lineup Tuesday night against Yankees lefty CC Sabathia, just activated from the disabled list after missing three weeks with a groin strain.
The two-time defending AL home run champion, Bautista was tied for second in the majors with 27 homers. He is batting .244 with 65 RBIs and a .360 on-base percentage.
“His absence will certainly be more of a challenge for us. Anytime you take one of the premier right-handed power hitters in baseball out of the lineup, it’s going to create a little bit of a hole,” Farrell said. “But much like the injuries we’ve sustained in our rotation, we haven’t used it as an excuse. We haven’t allowed that to distract us.”
Bautista won’t be able to pick up a bat for a couple of days, but he’s already on medication to alleviate the inflammation. Doctors told him he won’t make the injury any worse with activity, so his progress will be determined by how much pain he can tolerate.
“When I move it in certain directions, it’s pretty tough,” Bautista said. “But that’s what I’ve got to try to avoid. That’s why I’m wearing a splint, to protect the area, too, from bumping against anything. As long as I don’t move it in certain directions, I’m comfortable.”
He can begin full treatment right away, but he can’t do any strength exercises at first.
“It’s a good and bad news situation,” Farrell said. “The bad news is he’s going to be lost for some time, but the worst that we feared has been alleviated by the negative X-rays, negative MRIs, in terms of the fact that there’s no tear. So at this point we’re just going to let the symptoms subside and then gradually bring him back based on his tolerance.”
The 21-year-old Gose played in the Futures Game for top prospects last week in Kansas City and said he was “shocked” to get his first call-up to the majors.
He said he struck out leading off the game Monday night for Las Vegas and when he returned to the bench, he was told to stay in the dugout. Because of Bautista’s injury, his next stop would be Yankee Stadium.
“Strike out and next thing you know you’re going to the big leagues,” Gose said, adding that he had a hard time sleeping on his red-eye flight across the country. “Exciting, nerve-racking. The feeling’s indescribable. … I still don’t know what to think right now.”
But he has a simple plan for his first stint in the big leagues.
“Put the bat on the ball and run fast,” Gose said. “From where I started to where I am now, it’s night and day.”
Gose was hitting .292 at Las Vegas and leading the Pacific Coast League with 29 stolen bases. He had five homers, 10 triples and 41 RBIs. He was acquired by the Blue Jays from Houston in July 2010 for first baseman Brett Wallace.
Farrell said Gose will likely play right field against righties and could be in the leadoff spot Wednesday.
To make room for him on the 40-man roster, the Blue Jays transferred right-hander Brandon Morrow from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL.
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