Brett Lawrie placed on disabled list by Toronto Blue Jays

When Toronto Blue Jays infielder Brett Lawrie succumbed to a broken finger on Sunday in a game against the Cincinnati Reds, the initial prognosis was not a positive one. On cue, the Blue Jays were forced to place Lawrie on the 15-day disabled list, where he will likely spend three to six weeks on the shelf.

The 24-year-old Lawrie has developed a reputation for being a bit injury prone throughout his still young career, but breaking a finger simply seems like bad luck. Despite the fact that he was putting up just a .244 batting average, the versatile infielder was in the midst of arguably his best Major League season, as his .419 slugging percentage doubles as a career high, in addition to blasting 12 home runs (also a career best) in just 281 plate appearances.

Lawrie’s positional flexibility is extremely valuable, and in his absence, the Blue Jays take a significant hit at either second or third base, regardless of how they choose to deploy their options. At the moment, Toronto is leading the American League East with a 42-35 record, but with Jose Bautista currently banged up and Lawrie on the mend for a period of weeks, the Blue Jays will be hard pressed to continue the great momentum that they currently possess.

Brett Lawrie could be back in just over two weeks, but at this point, his continuing health is far from a sure thing.