St. John’s baseball star Joe Panik tries to jumpstart season with Blue Jays

Former St. John’s baseball standout Joe Panik is trying to jumpstart his season with the Toronto Blue Jays.

It has not been the best start to the season for Toronto Blue Jays infielder Joe Panik but the former Red Storm star is trying to jumpstart his year at the plate for hie new team.

After not appearing in a game since August 11, Panik was inserted in a suspended game for the Blue Jays against the Tampa Bay Rays in its new ballpark, Sahlen Field, the home of the Triple-A affiliate of team.

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Absent from the comfort and dry Rodgers Centre, the Blue Jays had their first rain delay in a home game since 2003 playing in Buffalo, New York in this strange season and the game on Saturday was suspended and resumed on Sunday afternoon.

Panik was not in the original starting lineup but replaced young star Bo Bichette who suffered a knee sprain.

The former Johnnie went 1-for-3 with a run scored after assuming his role on the field.

However, the Blue Jays were not able to come away with a victory as the Rays plated a run in the 9th inning to win 3-2, and then in what was supposed to be a 7 inning game, according to MLB rules in 2020, the Rays were able to sweep the makeshift doubleheader in extra innings with two runs in the 8th inning for a 7-5 victory.

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Joe Panik did not play in the second game on Sunday afternoon.

Panik has been hitting .160 this season (4-for-25) with two runs scored, one walk, and eight strikeouts.

As Bichette’s injury will certainly take a toll on the struggling Blue Jays, Panik will try and step in and fill those large shoes as he will get the start at shortstop on Monday night against the Baltimore Orioles.

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The Toronto Blue Jays currently hold a 7-11 record, six and a half games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East.