Jose Reyes out at least a month with sprained left ankle

Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes likely will be sidelined until the All-Star break because of a severely sprained left ankle.

"An MRI came back, no fracture, but it's a severe sprain," Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos said. "Right now, it looks like it will be three months, and that's just getting to the point that he's back in a big-league game. It could be six to eight weeks of rest and rehab.

"We'll wait for swelling to subside, and probably in five to six days get another MRI just to make sure there isn't anything they missed," Anthopoulos said. "The biggest thing is there is going to be no surgery at this point. The next MRI will confirm all of that. We're not really out of the woods entirely, but again, off of what the doctors have said, they feel pretty confident they have a pretty good read on it."

Reyes, acquired from Miami during the offseason after one season with the Marlins, is hitting .395 and leading the major leagues with five stolen bases.

In the sixth inning Friday night, Reyes had to decide whether to slide or go in standing up on a stolen-base attempt, and he made his decision too late. Reyes, who normally slides hands first, eventually slid feet first into second base, and his left ankle twisted gruesomely beneath him as he slid over the bag.

He screamed out as he rolled around on the infield dirt, then pulled his blue jersey over his face as trainers from both dugouts rushed onto the field.

Reyes knew right away that the injury probably was severe. "I heard something pop in my ankle. I know from the beginning that I did something that's not right there," he said. "I was in pain right away. It's kind of disappointing because I don't know how that happens so fast. I have to deal with this one more time. The same thing happened in 2003 in New York."

Reyes said he was too close to the base when he started his slide on the stolen base. "When I looked up to see the base, the base was right next to me," he said. "At that time, I didn't know what to do. I tried to go feet first. I never go feet first.''

Toronto selected the contract of shortstop Munenori Kawasaki from Triple-A Buffalo. He hit .192 in 61 games last season with Seattle.

"It certainly hurts to lose a player of Jose's caliber and personality," Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey said. "I think it also provides us with an opportunity to come together and collectively shoulder the burden that we will miss with his absence. Sometimes a situation like that can really cause a team to jell."

-- AP