Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Ji-Man Choi is expected to miss the remainder of the season and perhaps a portion of the playoffs with a hamstring injury.
Choi, 29, sustained a strained left hamstring during Tampa Bay’s 5-4 victory over the visiting Boston Red Sox on Saturday.
An MRI on Sunday revealed that Choi has a Grade 1 strain, which manager Kevin Cash said would likely require a two-to-three week recovery period. The American League East-leading Rays wrap up the regular season on Sept. 27.
“Ji-Man brings a lot of energy and he’s a great teammate,” Cash said. “I think we all felt that he was starting to have some better at-bats and get going. He will be missed, for sure.”
Nate Lowe and Michael Brosseau are expected to platoon at first base in place of Choi, who batted .230 with three homers and 16 RBIs in 42 games this season for the Rays.
Choi is a career .245 hitter with 39 homers and 128 RBIs in 290 games with the Los Angeles Angels (2016), New York Yankees (2017), Milwaukee Brewers (2017) and Rays.