Blue Jays' Matt Shoemaker Out for the Season as Leg Injury Diagnosed as Torn ACL

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Matt Shoemaker is out for the rest of the 2019 season after being diagnosed with a torn ACL, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca.

The injury came during Saturday's game against the Oakland Athletics when he was assisting in a rundown.

Shoemaker was already placed on the injured list Sunday with what was initially called a left knee sprain by the team.

It turns out the situation is worse than initially feared, adding to an already unlucky run of injuries for the pitcher.

The 32-year-old was limited to just 31 innings across seven starts last season because of forearm surgery. After only making 14 starts in 2017, he was non-tendered by the Angels after last season.

In his first five years in the majors, Shoemaker was never able to top 160 innings in a season.

Toronto banked on him bouncing back, and he showcased his skill to start the year, producing a 1.57 ERA in five starts to give him a 3-0 record. He tallied three shutout innings on Saturday before coming out of the game with his injury.

Unfortunately, his season will once again come to an end much earlier than he would have hoped.

While Shoemaker is under team control through the 2020 season, the latest issue creates uncertainty for his future with the Blue Jays.