The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 on Thursday, but starting shortstop Andrés Giménez exited early with hamstring tightness.
Giménez grabbed at his hamstring while running to first base on a ground ball in the top of the fourth inning. He did not come out to play defense in the bottom of the inning, and the team announced he had hamstring tightness.
It looked like he may have pulled his hamstring, which could have led to a significant absence. However, manager John Schneider provided a somewhat positive outlook after the win.
"John Schneider said Andres Gimenez 'felt better, actually, on exam, good strength and good mobility so we'll see if he wakes up (Friday), hopefully dodging another bullet. He's not going to get an MRI right now, see how he wakes up (Friday) and go from there,'" Sportsnet's Shi Davidi reported on X.
The win on Thursday secured a series win against the American League-leading Rays and was the seventh straight series win for the Blue Jays.
Still pending the rest of Thursday's results, the Blue Jays are only half a game out of a wild card spot. Three of their American League East rivals, the Rays, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are already in postseason position and are virtually locks to get in.
Losing Giménez now would be a huge blow. He is an elite defender and was hitting .270 this month going into Thursday's game.