The Toronto Blue Jays had little to celebrate in Thursday’s 7-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox, and the night became more concerning when Ernie Clement went down after fouling a ball off his shin. The versatile infielder has become one of Toronto’s most dependable players this season, making his health particularly important with the Blue Jays fighting for a playoff spot.
The incident happened in the eighth inning. Clement fouled the pitch off his lower leg and immediately showed signs of discomfort, but he remained in the game. He finished the night 0-for-3 with a strikeout as Toronto managed only five hits in the shutout loss.
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After the game, manager John Schneider offered an update, telling reporters that Clement’s competitive nature played a role in his decision to stay on the field.
“The hockey player in him wanted to stay in,” Schneider said, via Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae.
Per Schneider, the Blue Jays will see how Clement feels Friday before determining his status for the series opener against the New York Yankees.
Clement’s season has taken a different turn since the All-Star break. He was one of Toronto’s hottest hitters before the break, batting .296 with a .318 on-base percentage and .433 slugging percentage across 93 games, with eight home runs, 32 RBIs and 106 hits.
However, his form has dropped considerably since the break. The first-time All-Star is batting just .223 with 23 hits, one home run, 10 RBIs and eight runs scored in 27 games during that stretch.
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Despite the drop, his .280 average, 129 hits and 28 doubles lead the Blue Jays this season, while his .709 OPS ranks second behind Kazuma Okamoto.
Losing Clement for any extended period would create another problem for a team trying to stay alive in the playoff race. Toronto fell to 59-64 after Thursday’s loss and now sits two games behind the Minnesota Twins for the final American League wild card spot.
