Who will fill in for injured Blue Jays shortstop Tulowitzski?
By Zach Houle
Troy Tulowitzski is one of the Toronto Blue Jays’ best hitters, and now he won’t be ready for Opening Day.
The Toronto Blue Jays have a tough hill to climb in the American League East. That task isn’t made any easier by the recent revelation that shortstop Troy Tulowitzski won’t be ready for Opening Day, as Arden Zwelling reported.
This is a hit for a club that needs all the help it can get if it wants to win the division.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons on Troy Tulowitzki's status for opening day: "I don't expect he'll be ready. But he's moving in the right direction."
— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) March 4, 2018
So, who could replace Tulo? He is a key cog for their lineup but his career is one big injury log.
Tulo is moving toward recovery, but the club will need a replacement in the meantime.
The team does have good depth at that position. In December 2017, the Blue Jays acquired infielder Aledmys Diaz for a minor-leaguer. The club also dealt for Yangervis Solarte in a trade with the San Diego Padres. So Toronto is well-stocked in the infield. With that said, either player can take over the position in the meantime.
Diaz had a down year in 2017, when he hit .259 with seven home runs and 20 RBI in 301 at-bats. He mashed 17 homers in 2016 with 65 RBI, so there isn’t a doubt that he couldn’t replicate that.
On Solarte’s end, he batted .255 with 18 homers with 64 RBI. That’s pretty decent considering he played home games in Petco Park. But Diaz is more of a shortstop at heart. Solarte is more of a utility player who primarily plays second or third base.
With that said, it will most likely be Diaz who takes over the position because he is most comfortable there. The club would like to shore up its defense, so having Diaz and Solarte as a double play duo would be best.
The Toronto Blue Jays have a good problem on their hands. They don’t have to go out and trade/sign for outside talent. That will help to save resources for the trade deadline for an upgrade somewhere else.
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Ultimately, Toronto may have to see who plays better between the two in spring training. Either way, the club has more than enough depth to cover for the Tulowitzski injury. So, a competition between Diaz and Solarte during spring training is a great possibility. On paper, Diaz seems a better fit, but time will tell.