Back Spasms Send Blue Jays' Brandon Belt To IL

Belt was placed on the injured list with lumbar spine muscle spasms and the Blue Jays recalled outfielder Nathan Lukes.

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Blue Jays will be without Brandon Belt for the next 10 days.

In the midst of a playoff push, Toronto placed Belt on the injured list with lumbar spine muscle spasms, the team announced Tuesday, promoting outfielder Nathan Lukes in his place.

Belt had been battling the back pain over the last week, and though he felt good enough to play on Monday it seized back up on him after his second at-bat against the Rangers.

"Rather than kind of wait it out, I think just give him the time he needs to get it right," manager John Schneider said.

When healthy, Belt has been one of Torontos' most productive hitters this season. The 25-year-old has 16 homers in 97 games, posting an .839 OPS. A year after undergoing season-ending knee surgery, Belt's bounce-back has propelled the Blue Jays' offense at times this campaign. This will be his second IL stint of 2023.

With the DH spot opened up for the next 10 days, the Jays will use it to rotate players off their feet. Expect Davis Schneider and Spencer Horwitz to see more playing time in light of Belt's absence.

"We got guys that can kind of play all over the place," Schneider said. "I think it'll help a few guys going forward."