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TORONTO -- Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista will likely miss a few days with a mild hamstring strain but is not expected to go on the disabled list. The all-star right-fielder had an MRI exam done Monday after leaving Sundays game in Cincinnati. "Its definitely some of the best news I could have gotten," Bautista said. "I could have got the news of a torn hamstring or a higher-grade strain. But its the lowest grade strain that there could be -- grade one -- so its day by day." Bautista said theres a "really good chance" he wont have to go on the DL and added he might even be able to return during Torontos three-game series against the New York Yankees, which began Monday night at Rogers Centre. "Im not saying a start but a pinch-hit at-bat here or there, thats a possibility," he said. The Blue Jays have led the American League East standings for the last month but they won just three games on their recent 10-game road trip. Entering play Monday, Toronto had a 1 1/2-game lead on New York and the Baltimore Orioles. Toronto lost another key player over the weekend as infielder Brett Lawrie of Langley, B.C., will miss three to six weeks with a fractured right index finger. The Blue Jays placed him on the 15-day DL on Monday and recalled outfielders Anthony Gose and Kevin Pillar from triple-A Buffalo. "We need the two extra outfielders to cover while Jose is out," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. "When he comes back, I dont necessarily think we need two. But for the time being, we do." "Its an opportunity for somebody," Gibbons added. "Thats what it comes down to." Lawrie is batting .244 this season with 12 homers and 38 RBIs. The Blue Jays also optioned catcher Erik Kratz to the Bisons on Monday. Bautista is enjoying another strong season with a .305 average, 15 home runs and 49 RBIs in 77 games. His defensive play has been excellent and he leads all major-league players in fan voting for the July 15 all-star game in Minnesota. He suffered the injury while trying to leg out a single in the Blue Jays 4-3 loss to the Reds. "I was running down to first and I extended my leg to step on the bag and I just felt a little sharp pain," Bautista said. "The usual feeling when you strain a muscle. Ive been there before so I knew what was going on. I had a good idea at least. I just didnt know how bad it was. "I knew I could have made it worse by staying in the game so I came out." Gibbons was unable to provide a specific return date but was relieved it didnt appear to be a serious injury. "Hopefully just a couple days," he said. "Well see." The Blue Jays opened June with five straight wins but have gone 4-11 since, entering the series opener against the Yankees. The timing of the injuries and the recent slide have not helped ease concerns from a jittery fanbase that the teams rare first-place run could soon come to an end, especially with New York and Baltimore now so close in the standings. "I dont think it should be blown out of proportion," Bautista said. "I think we have capable guys that can fill in on a short-term basis and hopefully do a great job. "Certainly the other guys that are in the lineup that are still regulars, they are plenty good to carry the offence and the team on the field. So I wouldnt blow it out of proportion." At the end of his five-minute pre-game availability, Bautista was asked what hed say to the portion of the fanbase who believes the teams strong play last month was an aberration, and that the results from the last two weeks are more the expected norm. "Well good for them," he said. "I dont have to defend ourselves. If they want to root for the Yankees or the Red Sox, be my guest. They shouldnt be Jays fans if thats how they feel. Thats my opinion." Torontos lineup card for the opener of the three-game series against the Yankees had a different look. Designated hitter Adam Lind moved into Bautistas No. 3 slot, batting behind shortstop Jose Reyes and left-fielder Melky Cabrera. First baseman Edwin Encarnacion remained in the cleanup spot and centre-fielder Colby Rasmus batted fifth and catcher Dioner Navarro was in the No. 6 spot. Third baseman Juan Francisco batted seventh, ahead of second baseman Munenori Kawasaki and right-fielder Gose. Custom Los Angeles Dodgers Jerseys . Pistorius denied the allegation that he said to the close friend of the girlfriend he killed: "How can you sleep at night?" The accusation by Kim Myers provided a bizarre twist during the trial of the world-famous double-amputee Olympian, who is facing 25 years to life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder for shooting dead Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model, at his home last year. Maury Wills Jersey . - The Oakland Athletics say they are stopping negotiations to extend their lease at the Coliseum. http://www.ladodgersprostore.us/Joc-Pederson-dodgers-jersey/. The 27th-ranked Austrian underwent surgery on a torn tendon in October and needs more time to recover, the Austria Press Agency reports on Saturday. Kenta Maeda Jersey . -- Peyton Manning is the only player in this Super Bowl who has won the big game. Russell Martin Womens Jersey . The game marks the rare occasion when two homegrown running backs, Jon Cornish of the Calgary Stampeders and Andrew Harris of the B.C. Lions, will start in the West Divisions battle for a Grey Cup berth.VANCOUVER -- Alex Anthopoulos was a busy man last off-season. The Toronto Blue Jays general manager made a series of bold moves that reshaped the club ahead of what would turn out to be a disastrous 2013 campaign. The lead-up to the 2014 season has been relatively quiet in comparison, with the Blue Jays biggest splash coming when they cut ties with catcher J.P Arencibia and replaced him with free-agent Dioner Navarro. While that deal wasnt not on the same level as the headline-grabbing acquisitions of Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and R.A. Dickey, Anthopoulos says he wont be adding any pieces through trade or free agency unless it fits into the teams model. "We made a lot of big moves early last off-season. It wasnt by design, it just worked out that way," Anthopoulos said Friday. "Weve had a lot of dialogue. Theres still a lot of players out there, just havent been able to line up with respect to a price, whether its trade or free-agent cost. "We do have the ability on some trade fronts to just say Yes. We know what the asking prices are -- just not willing to pay that price. From a free-agent standpoint ... we have been given a price and we just dont necessarily see the value right now." The starting rotation continues to be a point of emphasis after a miserable 2013 that saw Toronto finish last in the American League East after starting the season as World Series favourites. Free agent starters Ervin Santana or Ubaldo Jimenez are still on the open market, but Anthopoulos said theres a chance that the rotation could be filled out from within. "We have a lot of candidates and a lot of options. Someone like Brandon Morrow coming back (from injury) is a huge boost for us, some of our young kids that are coming back are certainly going help," he said. "We still have dialogue and try to upgrade but we do have some upside to some of the guys that are coming back." Anthopoulos, who was in town for a luncheon with the single-A Vancouver Canadians, also touched on the New York Yankees signing of Japanese starter Masahiro Tanaka earlier this week. The 25-year-old right-hander inked a seven-year deal worth $155 million dollars with Torontos AL East rivals that also includes a $20-millionn dollar payment to his club team.dddddddddddd The Blue Jays, who have an internal policy of not signing player contracts longer than five years, were rumoured to be in the running for Tanakas services early on in the process. "Obviously hes a great starter and there was a lot speculation on where the dollars would go just based on the previous two Japanese starters (Daisuke Matsuzaka and Yu Darvish)," said Anthopoulos. "I think it was expected that he would go north of (their price tags) -- $175 million, I dont know if anybody predicted that. "Hes very talented and the Yankees certainly got better." Anthopoulos said the Blue Jays use the five-year limit on contracts as "a guideline" but tend to shy away from longer-term deals because they offer clubs very little wiggle room. "Weve held firm on our five-year policy in terms of contracts. When free agents are signing for seven, eight years, then normally thats where we tap out," he said. "We definitely have the resources financially in terms of annual value and salaries and things like that. I think weve proven that with some of the players we have acquired. But just the length of term -- very rarely do those seven-, eight-year deals work out." Anthopoulos and manager John Gibbons will be feeling the heat if the Blue Jays stumble out of the gate as the they did in 2013. Fans flocked to Rogers Centre with dreams of a return to the teams glory years of the early 1990s that included two World Series titles, but were instead bitterly disappointed with the product on the field. With pitchers and catchers set to report for spring training on Feb. 17, a repeat in 2014 surely wont fly. "Youre always anxious to try to improve the club and to add to it, but you dont necessarily have to guard against it when you know theres a deal that just doesnt make any sense," said Anthopoulos. "We just dont want to force a deal and do it for the sake of doing it. "We want to make moves that we think are going to help the club. If we have to go more years and dollars than we believe in, people might get excited now but a few months into it we may be regretting that deal and be hamstrung with a contract that we dont want." ' ' '