Red Sox Rival Takes Tough Injury Hit Amid Tight Playoff Race

The Boston Red Sox are looking up to the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Wild Card race.

But the Blue Jays now will have to try to maintain their playoff positioning without their two-time All-Star closer.

The Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath reported Saturday that the Blue Jays placed Jordan Romano on the 15-day injured list due to low back inflammation. That’s a big loss at the back end of Toronto’s bullpen, especially with Romano having another terrific season.

The 26-year-old was tied for the AL lead in saves with 28 prior to his injury while posting a 4-5 record with a 2.79 ERA and 1.190 WHIP. He also struck out 51 batters in 42 innings.

With Romano out of the mix for the time being, the Blue Jays are expected to turn to a closer by committee approach during a crucial part of the season, per McGrath. Erik Swanson, Yimi García and Tim Mayza all could get save opportunities despite not having the same high-leverage success as Romano. The Blue Jays could also turn to Nate Pearson, who was brought up with Romano going to the IL and pitched a scoreless inning of relief against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday.

With their second straight win over the Angels, the Blue Jays hold a two-game lead over the Red Sox for a wild card spot before Boston goes up against the San Francisco Giants in the middle game of its three-game set.

The Red Sox will try to put pressure on the Blue Jays and their bullpen when the two sides meet for a critical three-game series next weekend at Fenway Park.