Jackets’ Laine enters Player Assistance Program
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Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporter
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine has entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program to receive care for an undisclosed issue.
The announcement, made via the NHL, NHLPA and Blue Jackets’ organization Sunday, indicated Laine will be out indefinitely while getting treatment.
“After careful consideration and discussions with my support network and the team, I have recognized the importance of prioritizing my mental health and well-being,” Laine said Sunday in a statement posted to Instagram. “Hockey has been my passion and my life, but I have come to realize that in order to perform at my best, I need to take this time to focus on myself.
“I am grateful for the understanding and support of my team, the league, and our fans during this time. I look forward to returning to the ice with a clear mind and renewed energy. Thank you for respecting my privacy during this time and for your continued support.”
Laine will return to Columbus when cleared to do so by the program’s administrators.
“Patrik has our complete support, and our sole concern is his well-being,” Blue Jackets general manager and alternate governor Jarmo Kekalainen said in a statement. “Out of respect for Patrik, we will have no further comment.”
Laine, 25, had been working his way back from a fractured clavicle injury suffered Dec. 14 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was with the Blue Jackets on their recent road trip to Western Canada with an eye on returning at some point, but Laine abruptly went back to Columbus on Saturday.
“It’s just a setback with the injury,” Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said. “He’s not going to be able to play on the trip, so he went back.”
There was no updated timeline for Laine at that point, and Kekalainen said at the time that Laine’s setback was discovered during the trip.
The injury had limited Laine to just 18 games this season, during which he registered six goals and nine points. He missed nine games in October with a concussion before suffering the clavicle injury. Laine had also been a healthy scratch for the first time in his career during a mid-November stretch and was sidelined three games with an illness after that.
Laine has consistently struggled with injury problems since the Blue Jackets acquired him via a trade with Winnipeg in January 2021. The Jets’ second overall draft pick in 2016 has appeared in 479 career NHL games to date, posting 203 goals and 387 points.
TORONTO — Cleveland Guardians star Jose Ramirez was back in the lineup for Sunday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, two days after the third baseman left in the third inning because of a mild right ankle sprain.
The six-time All-Star was injured when he stumbled and fell while crossing first base on an infield single. Ramirez went down after being struck in the back by a throw from Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt.
Ramirez was batting third Sunday against right-hander Bowden Francis.
Ramírez sat out Saturday when Cleveland beat Toronto 5-3. He went 2 for 2 before departing Friday, boosting his average to .274. He has five home runs and 15 RBIs in 31 games.
In last Thursday’s 4-3 victory over Minnesota, Ramirez became the first primary third baseman to reach 250 homers and 250 stolen bases.
The Miami Marlins activated catcher Nick Fortes from the 10-day injured list Sunday morning. To make room for him on the active roster, starting second baseman Otto Lopez was placed on the 10-day injured list.
Fortes, the Marlins’ Opening Day catcher, posted six hits in 20 at-bats with two doubles, one triple and one RBI in seven appearances before going on the IL on April 10 with an injured left oblique muscle. The 28-year-old missed 20 games as the Marlins went 7-13 without him. To prepare for Sunday’s return, he rehabbed for two games at Triple-A Jacksonville and went 0-for-6.
Fortes figures to split time with 23-year-old rookie catcher Agustin Ramirez, who has delivered a .256/.293/.615 slash line with three homers and five RBIs in 10 games during his first stint in the bigs.
The 26-year-old Lopez hits the injured list, retroactive to Saturday, with a sprained right ankle. Lopez started the season hot with a .400 average to go with two homers, six RBIs and one stolen base during five games in March. Since then, he has batted .191 (17-for-89) with no homers, five RBIs and two steals.
Rookie Javier Sanoja, 22, has filled Lopez’s spot at second base the last two games and provided two doubles, two runs and one RBI in seven at-bats.
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