Injuries News

Kevin Pillar Played With a Broken Hand Last Season

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Slowly but surely, we are beginning to learn that the 2015 Toronto Blue Jays were a pretty banged up squad. Many of the Blue Jays played through injuries last season, and it’s only after the fact that some of these injuries are being disclosed.

Apparently Edwin Encarnacion had a hernia, R.A. Dickey played through a torn meniscus most of the season, and the Blue Jays assistant hitting coach let it slip that Kevin Pillar also toughed it out last season as well.

Eric Owens, assistant hitting coach for the Blue Jays joined Sportsnet 590’s Baseball Central and revealed Kevin Pillar wasn’t exactly 100% last year.

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“No one knew last year that this guy was playing with a broken hand for a long time in the second half. He didn’t get really healthy until right before the playoffs. He’s an old-school guy; he’s going to go out and play hurt … a lot of people don’t know when he’s hurt.”

Nothing like a casual “Oh by the way, Pillar had a broken hand” to put his 5.2 WAR season in perspective. With that information in mind, what Kevin Pillar was able to accomplish last season is even more impressive.

The funny thing is you’d never have known Kevin Pillar was playing through an injury, simply looking at his first and second half splits; they’re virtually identical.

Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS 1st Half 90 355 334 48 93 18 2 7 37 13 3 16 56 .278 .312 .407 .719 2nd Half 69 273 252 28 70 13 0 5 19 12 1 12 29 .278 .317 .389 .706 Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Owens didn’t disclose when Pillar’s injury occurred, but one can only assume it may have been due to one of the numerous catches he made, or even Pillar’s unfortunate collision with Tulowitzki in the outfield.