Following a string of home runs in the top of the ninth against the Rockies last night, Outfielder Joey Loperfido got struck in the knee by a wild Angel Chivilli pitch to the knee, which forced him to leave the game.

What Happens Now?

The unfortunate part for Loperfido is that he has been batting so well for the Jays this year when he has played.

Although Loperfido isn’t an everyday player, Loperfido has been batting .389/.436/.542 with two doubles and four homers on the year, while having an OPS+ 70 marks above average.

Although he isn’t a regular starter as mentioned earlier, a potential knee injury for Loperfido could be a huge depth loss for a club that has already seen injury stints for players like Andres Jimenez, George Springer, Anthony Santander, even with two players who have now returned, Alejandro Kirk and Daulton Varsho.

Potential Replacements

Because of Loperfido’s status as a depth option, there isn’t exactly much that needs to be done in terms of replacement besides a few of the outfielders/utilitymen receiving more time while Loperfido heals.

As Sportsnet noted, Nathan Lukes has played 29 games in left field, and although he has much more comfort patrolling the right side, he can fill in any potential Loperfido losses if possible. Even then, Lukes has been hitting the ball, batting .262 with 10 homers, 10 doubles, and an OPS+ mark of a respectable 115.

Another option, too, is Davis Schneider, who could also fill in some of the gaps left by a Loperfido IL stint. So far, he is batting .226/.364/.406 with four doubles and five homers. Not only would this keep Lukes at his natural spot, but it would also give Schneider a bit more reps at second, considering his improvement since his AAA stint. Myles Straw is also another option. He pinch-hit for Loperfido following the hit in Tuesday night’s game and has been reliable for the Jays while Varsho was out with injury.

All things considered, I doubt Loperfido will be out long. Posts shared by teammates show him looking fine, but I imagine he won’t play for a few games until the pain is fully settled.