Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is not expected to be activated from the 60-day disabled list before the end of the 2018 season, skipper John Gibbons confirmed Saturday. No further details were revealed concerning Tulowitzki’s current status, particularly with regard to a rehab assignment or an estimated timetable for his return to the team in 2019.
The 33-year-old shortstop underwent surgery to remove bone spurs in both heels back in April. He was originally slated to miss the first half of the season, but had not been cleared to play in a game by the end of July despite making progress with a running program and other baseball activities. It’s now been over a year since his last game in the majors, and he likely won’t see another one until Opening Day in 2019 (or later), assuming all goes well with his recovery over the offseason.
Tulowitzki is two years removed from his last full season in the majors. He appeared in just 66 games for the Blue Jays in 2017, batting .249/.300/.378 with seven home runs, a .678 OPS and 0.0 fWAR through 260 plate appearances before losing the second half of the season to an ankle sprain. He’s still under contract for another two years and $34 million, with a $15 million club option (and $4 million buyout) for the 2021 season.
