Blue Jays place OF Kiermaier on IL with arm cut, X-rays negative on Ryu after LHP struck on knee

Updated Aug. 8, 2023 5:54 p.m. ET

Associated Press

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays placed center fielder Kevin Kiermaier on the 10-day injured list Tuesday after he cut his arm making a leaping catch against the wall in Boston on Sunday.

Kiermaier needed eight stitches to close the gash on his right forearm. In the sixth inning, Kiermaier raced back and jumped against the center-field wall to rob Red Sox infielder Luis Urías of extra bases.

But in making the grab, Kiermaier's arm scraped against a metal screen, causing the laceration.

“A nasty Fenway Park cut,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “It’s a weird spot, so he can’t really bend or extend, and if he does it’s going to re-open. Nothing structural, just a cut. Just let it heal and hopefully he’ll be back soon.”

To take his spot, the Blue Jays recalled outfielder Nathan Lukes from Triple-A Buffalo.

The Blue Jays also got good news on starter Hyun Jin Ryu, who was struck on the right knee by a liner in Monday's win.

Schneider said X-rays on Ryu were negative. The left-hander was making just his second start after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year.

Schneider expects Ryu to make his next start on Sunday.

“With the way he's feeling today, we're pretty optimistic he's going to be good,” he said.

The 36-year-old South Korean went down in the infield grass after he was struck by the shot from Cleveland’s Oscar Gonzalez. Ryu retrieved the ball and threw out Gonzalez before collapsing to the right of the mound.

Schneider joked that he couldn't repeat what he said at the sight of Ryu going down.

“Immediately, you think about everything he has done for the elbow and then to have a line drive hit his knee and think that can't be how this is going to end," Schneider said. “He's tough. He's a big, strong dude. You saw everyone on the field huddle around him and were like, ‘Don’t let this be bad.'

“We were holding our breath there, for sure.”

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