Blue Jays Troy Tulowitzki to undergo surgery to remove bone spurs
It’s a new season, but it is the same old story for Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.
It was obvious that the Toronto Blue Jays finally realized that they could not count on shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. After a disastrous performance by their middle infield, they Blue Jays acquired Aledmys Diaz and Yangervis Solarte to protect against those inevitable injuries. However, the hope was that Tulowitzki would be able to give Toronto something over the course of the season.
That hope is going to be delayed. Tulowitzki was already sidelined due to his troublesome bone spurs, and is now set to be out of the lineup even longer. The oft-injured shortstop is set to undergo surgery on both of his heels to remove those bone spurs. In the best case scenario, he will be back in approximately eight weeks.
Troy Tulowitzki will undergo surgery to remove bone spurs from both ankles per Ross Atkins
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) March 30, 2018
Best case scenario he's back in eight weeks #BlueJays
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Of course, that eight week time frame is very much up for debate when it comes to Tulowitzki. He has become one of the more injury prone players in the game over the past few years, averaging only 98 games per year since the start of 2012. In that time frame, he has had only one year with over 130 games, and has still managed to miss time each season.
There is also a question of what the Blue Jays would get from Tulowitzki once he gets back on the field. In 2017, he was a shadow of his former self, producing a meager .249/.300/.378 batting line with seven homers and ten doubles. Those days of Tulowitzki being an All Star appear to be long gone.
Even when Tulowitzki comes back, there is no guarantee that he would be a better option than Diaz. Although he struggled with the Cardinals last year, he appeared to be the shortstop of the future in 2016. That year, he posted a .300/.369/.510 batting line, hitting 17 homers and 28 doubles as he made the All Star Game. It would not be a surprise if Diaz seized the position.
Next: Blue Jays season preview
Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is set to undergo surgery, and is expected to miss at least eight weeks. Even if he comes back, expecting anything is foolhardy.