Toronto Blue Jays corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto has been solid at the plate in his rookie season with the club. The Blue Jays signed Okamoto to a four-year, $60 million deal this past offseason to solidify the infield. While he has cooled off considerably in the second half, he has still been a reliable presence in the lineup.
Across 427 at-bats, the 30-year-old Japanese slugger has posted a .225 batting average, .299 on-base percentage, .728 OPS, 24 home runs and 70 RBIs.
Okamoto was originally listed in Toronto's lineup for Monday's series opener against the Boston Red Sox, slotted in hitting seventh and manning the hot corner.
However, the Blue Jays removed him from the lineup hours before first pitch, replacing him with recently called up third baseman Charles McAdoo. Unfortunately, his removal was injury-related.
"UPDATE: 3B Kazuma Okamoto was removed from tonight's starting lineup with a left knee contusion," the club wrote on X.
It is unclear when Okamoto originally suffered the injury, but it likely bothered him enough during pregame warmups to force Toronto into making a change.
Manager John Schneider will likely provide further updates on his condition, including whether a stint on the injured list is a possibility.
However, with McAdoo now on the active roster, the Blue Jays at least have a viable replacement at third base in the short term as they continue to push for the final American League wild card spot.
It is also worth mentioning that utility man Ernie Clement was not chosen to replace Okamoto, indicating he also may down with an injury.
