Athletics' Lawrie says getting off Toronto's artificial turf could curtail injury woes
A relentless string of injuries marred Brett Lawrie's tenure with the Toronto Blue Jays, preventing the native Canadian from realizing his potential during his four years with the club.
Acquired by the Oakland Athletics on Friday as part of a package for Josh Donaldson, Lawrie has logged just 177 games over the last two seasons, but the 24-year-old said Monday he believes getting off the artificial turf at Rogers Centre should help curtail his injury problems.
Lawrie required two stints on the disabled list last season - one for a fractured finger and another for an oblique strain - and has made six trips to the DL since debuting in 2011. The energetic third baseman has yet to eclipse 125 games played in a season, but is still projected to accrue 4.0 WAR next season, according to Steamer.
Lawrie also isn't worried about replacing Donaldson at third base, effectively taking over for the club's best player.
How does it feel to replace #athletics best player? “I can’t fill someone else’s shoes. . . . I'm going to go out and be Brett Lawrie."
— John Shea (@JohnSheaHey) December 2, 2014