Blue Jays manager Gibbons: Jose Bautista will likely avoid disabled list

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons says rightfielder Jose Bautista will likely avoid the disabled list. Bautista has missed the last two games with a shoulder injury.

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons says that rightfielder Jose Bautista is unlikely to go on the disabled list as he works his way back from a shoulder injury.

[daily_cut.mlb]

Bautista has been dealing with a sore shoulder for the past week and aggravated the injury after attempting to throw out Baltimore Orioles outfielder Delmon Young at first base during the eighth inning of Tuesday's 4-2 victory.

"I don't think we're going to have to DL him, he's feeling much better today," Gibbons said to MLB.com. "Maybe it's only a couple more days. When he comes back, it'll be primarily as a DH for a few days."

Bautista did not play in the team's last two games against the Orioles and was replaced in the lineup by Kevin Pillar. Pillar had three hits in seven at-bats in the two games as Bautista’s replacement.

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Gibbons is hopeful that Bautista and outfielder Michael Saunders, who has been on the disabled list with a knee injury, will return sometime this weekend for a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Bautista is batting .149 with four home runs and 10 RBI this season for the Blue Jays (9-7), who are in three-way tie for first place in the American League East.

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