DUNEDIN, FLA.—It’s going to be hard to replace injured Marcus Stroman’s personality as much as his pitching, the Blue Jays say.

“Obviously, his attitude and his smile he brings every day, (losing) that part of it sucks,” Jays veteran starter Mark Buehrle said the day after the sophomore right-hander suffered a torn knee ligament during a routine fielding drill, expected to knock him out of the starting rotation for the season.

Buehrle’s comments were heartfelt after his 23-year-old teammate spoke publically for the first time since the injury.

“I think he’s going to have to tuck me in to bed a bit more now,” Stroman, who has referred to the 36-year-old Buehrle as “Pops” throughout camp, said with a laugh.

Stroman has also formed a more youthful bond with fellow pitchers Aaron Sanchez and Daniel Norris — a Hollywood script in the making. They have ascended through the minors to the big leagues together, and vowed to keep that bond strong in the majors. Stroman’s injury and pending surgery throw a curveball in that game plan this year.

“It’s a tough one,” Stroman said Wednesday. “I feel like I let my team down. I love my teammates. And with my brothers, I developed a relationship with them; you guys know that. The hardest part is going to be the fact I’m away from them. . . . At the end of the day I’m the same guy. I’ll have a smile on my face and try to keep everyone upbeat.”

Stroman will have support from family, friends and teammates during the long injury rehab, and hopes to push the envelope on the time frame if possible.

“It’s pretty set that there’s (no comeback this season), but who knows — maybe playoffs, ’pen . . . (but) you have to trust the process,” he said. “I just have to focus on the rehab and getting better . . .

“I love interaction. I wake up in the morning and get excited to come to the park and joke around with the guys. The tough part is that won’t be there now.”

Stroman made it clear that the injury was the result of nothing more than “freak accident.”

“It’s a normal play, and I know everyone is reaching for something there, but it was just a normal play,” said Stroman, wearing a We The North baseball cap during the 15-minute press conference. “I planted the wrong way and the knee popped. No one is to blame. It’s not Josh (Donaldson, the third baseman who also took part in the drill). It’s not the field. It’s just something that happened.”

Stroman’s knee injury was the second in the first two weeks of camp. Canadian-born outfielder Michael Saunders suffered a meniscus tear after stepping on a sprinkler head at the minor league complex, but now appears on pace to recover in time for opening day. Saunders quietly took batting practice Wednesday, then did agility drills and shagged fly balls.

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Stroman knows his rehab will take much longer.

“It’s hurting, a lot worse than yesterday,” said Stroman, who wasn’t wearing a knee brace during the press conference after sporting one earlier. “It’s a tough process to go through, but things happen for a reason. I truly believe that. I will dive into this. I will come back stronger than ever in 2016.”

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