Brett Bateman (hip) returns to Saturday’s lineup

Bateman missed both games of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Orioles due to right hip discomfort and he’s still not ready to go on Friday night. With only two games left in the season and the jays out of playoff contention. there’s no reason for them to rush him back if he’s not fully ready. Myles Straw will start in his place in center field and will bat ninth against Reds’ left-hander Nick Lodolo on Friday evening in Toronto.

There’s zero incentive for Toronto to push Bateman back out there after being officially eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the day. The 24-year-old rookie will sit out both ends of the twin bill after exiting Monday’s series opener with right hip discomfort. He’s day-to-day heading into the Blue Jays’ final three games of the year.

Bateman suffered the injury on an awkward slide while making a catch in the second inning of Monday’s series opener in Baltimore. The 24-year-old rookie walked and scored a run before his early exit. The positive news is that X-rays came back negative for any fractures. There’s a chance he manages to avoid the injured list. He’s been an unexpected late-season revelation, hitting .320 with two homers and three steals in 38 games since arriving in the big leagues last month.

Bateman appeared to injure his right knee and immediately left the field with a trainer following an awkward slide while making a play in center field during the second inning of Monday’s game. There should be an update on his status following the contest.

It took him just over a month, but Bateman finally notched his first big league homer. It was a shot too, traveling 403 feet over the fence in center field at the Rogers Centre to cut the Orioles lead from five to three in the ninth. That would be the end of the comeback attempt though. Still, Bateman chipped in two more hits and has been the Jays’ lead-off hitter for about a month straight since being acquired at the trade deadline and then called up in early August. With a .333 batting average over that span, he’ll likely hold that spot through the end of the season too.

Bateman has come in at .347/.412/.406 through 116 plate appearances and is getting high marks for his defense. Barring a serious drought these last three weeks, it seems like he’s going to be penciled in as the Jays’ center fielder next year.

Bateman suffered a mild hamstring strain during Wednesday’s contest against the Rays and sat out Thursday’s game as a precautionary measure. He’s back in there in center field and hitting atop the Jays’ lineup for Friday’s battle against Yankees’ right-hander Cam Schlittler.

Bateman said he felt a pinch in his hamstring running up the line in the top of the third inning last night and came out when it tightened up in the fifth inning. He was set to undergo an MRI last night but we don’t know what came of it yet. Myles Straw and Daz Cameron are both in the lineup against LHP Ian Seymour today.

Bateman was 0-for-2 before being replaced by Myles Straw in the fifth inning. He’ll undergo further evaluation to determine the severity of the injury. The 24-year-old rookie has hit .271 (13-for-48) with four RBI and one steal in 11 games since being called up earlier this month.

It’s been a little surprising to see Bateman getting starts against lefties here at the beginning of his major league career, but he doubled and singled off Patrick Sandoval to make a big difference in the victory tonight. He’s 6-for-22 through five games, and he should offer some value in deeper leagues as long as he continues to play regularly and hit first or second for the Jays.