Blue Jays closer Ken Giles He left today’s game with what the team described as pain in his right elbow. Called to preserve a 4-2 lead in Toronto in the ninth inning, Giles retired the Rays’ first two hitters he faced before allowing a Joey Wendle double and then two walks, and then he was removed from the game. In a post-game conversation with Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and other reporters, Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said Giles will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the problem.
Any elbow problem is a bad sign for a pitcher, of course, and Giles’ injury could be particularly troublesome given that he was bothered by that same elbow last season. Montoyo did not know if Giles’ current problems were similar to his inflammation problems in 2019, which included a minimal IL period in June and then a cortisone injection in late July that did not lead to a closure or other placement of the injured list, although the timing probably prevented Toronto from giving Giles a playoff contender.
Commercial speculation continued to revolve around Giles in the offseason, and while that conversation seemed to lessen once the Jays made a few moves (i.e., the Hyun Jin Ryu signing), indicating a drive toward containment in 2020, he certainly stood out as a possible business candidate if the club fell out of a postseason run. Of course, between the expanded playoff structure and the new trade deadline of August 31, it’s hard to know if the Jays will be considered true sellers in any scenario, plus a total collapse in the coming weeks of play.
A possible injury not only hurts Giles ‘business value and the Blue Jays’ chances of containment, it also hurts their market value as free agency approaches this winter. Despite his elbow concerns in 2019, Giles still enjoyed an outstanding season, posting a 1.87 ERA, 4.88 K / BB rate and 14.1 K / 9 rate over 53 innings in his first full season with Toronto. .
