With three big All-Stars going down at the same time in mid-July which team’s playoff chances will be affected most by the injury? You have David Ortiz going down for Boston, Jose Bautista banged up for Toronto and Joey Votto on the shelf for Cincinnati.

The Red Sox are ravaged by injuries wall season so this is just another one to add to the list, but it doesn’t seem too bad as it appears to be just a two week thing with a little rest getting it better. Another reason this injury isn’t too hard on the team is because the Red Sox just got Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury back from the DL to pick up the load. Despite all their issues to the lineup and pitching with injuries the Red Sox are just two games back of the wild card.

The Blue Jays have been hit just as hard if not harder by the injury bug this season with 60% of their rotation going down and their big bat getting hurt on a swing. The very next day on a freak play their young third baseman got hurt trying to catch a foul ball going into the stands and has been day to day since. Toronto had a very promising year and were still pretty much in the hunt before these injuries and are still close at just 3.5 games out of a wild card spot, but the games aren’t the issue it is that there are five teams ahead of them.

Cincinnati had their MVP Joey Votto go down with a knee injury and he will be out for about a month. The main issue is not whether the Reds can stay in first place or at worse get a wild card it is when Votto comes back will he be the same for the stretch run in September and the playoffs in October. The Reds have enough hitting to get by as they will just need the pitching to step up a little and limit the damage by the other team. The Reds don’t need any single guy to step up for the month just need guys like Phillips, Bruce, Rolen, or Ludwick aka their meat of the order to rotate being hot or getting the big hit each day to keep pace with the Pirates who remain hot on their heels.

Look for these teams to play hard despite missing a big bat in the middle of the order and to fight all the way to the end of the year as it showed last year you never know just ask St. Louis. Toronto will fade as it is the straw that breaks the camel’s back and just too many teams to overcome. Boston will be ok and keep pace as they are, but have a tough road and a lot of teams to contend with to reach the post season so it is unlikely that this will sway their chances either way. Cincinnati will be fine it is just a matter if they can hold off the Pirates for the division or slide back some and win a wild card spot, but they will be find their way into the post season.