Bautista lands on DL with knee sprain
Less than three weeks after returning from a toe injury, Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista has landed back on the disabled list with a sprained left knee, general manager Ross Atkins confirmed ahead of Wednesday's series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre.
Bautista, who rejoined the Blue Jays on July 25 after missing more than five weeks with a hyperextended toe, banged his knee on the turf on an awkward misplay in the third inning of Tuesday's 9-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, prompting the club to send him for an MRI.
"It's extremely frustrating - especially after an offseason that a lot of hard work went into getting ready and hopefully avoiding these type of situations," Bautista told Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling. "And then having this happen on two freak injuries, or freak accidents - it's pretty disappointing."
Related - Watch: Bautista trips on turf, gives up extra base
Since returning to Toronto's lineup a few weeks ago, Bautista has struggled at the plate, going just 11-for-58 (.190) with three homers, three doubles, and a 20.3 percent strikeout rate in 15 games. On the season, the six-time All-Star and impending free agent owns a .793 OPS - his lowest since 2009 - with 15 home runs through 80 contests.
In a corresponding move, the Blue Jays recalled outfielder Junior Lake from Triple-A Buffalo. Through 19 games with Toronto this season, the 26-year-old owns a .672 OPS with one home run and 11 strikeouts in 38 plate appearances.