Blue Jays activate Gold Glove 3B Matt Chapman off 10-day IL

TORONTO (AP) — Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman was activated off the 10-day injured list before Thursday’s game against Texas.

The Blue Jays have fallen out of a wild-card position after losing the first three games of a four-game series against the Rangers.

Chapman has been sidelined because of a sprained right middle finger since leaving an Aug. 27 game against Cleveland. The former All-Star and three-time Gold Glove Award winner jammed his finger returning a dumbbell to its rack in Toronto’s weight room last month.

Chapman was the AL player of the month in April, when he hit .384 with five homers and 21 RBIs. He’s batting .248 with 15 homers and 50 RBIs in 125 games.

Chapman was traded to Toronto in March 2022 following five seasons with Oakland. He’s in the second season of a $25 million, two-year contract and is eligible for free agency after the World Series.

Toronto optioned outfielder Nathan Lukes to Triple-A Buffalo.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb