The first inning of the Toronto Blue Jays' 3-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners in Game 1 of the ALCS was quite eventful. George Springer did give the Blue Jays the lead in the very first at-bat of the game, but what followed right after was a bit of a sneak peek of what was to come. Right fielder Nathan Lukes came to the plate after Springer went deep and toughed out a 12-pitch at-bat against Mariners starter Bryce Miller. Lukes gave it everything he had, which included fouling off one pitch straight off his right knee, forcing him to the ground immediately.

While he did finish the at-bat and drew the walk, even staying on the basepaths until Daulton Varsho lined out to centerfield to end the inning, Lukes wasn't able to carry on for the rest of the game. The Blue Jays pulled him earlier as a precautionary measure, with Myles Straw taking his spot on the field to start the second inning.

At the very least, Lukes has a chance to suit up for the Blue Jays in Game 2 of the ALCS, as manager John Schneider revealed that the right fielder managed to avoid disaster after a major injury scare.

“He's doing alright. He had X-rays, he had a CT-scan, negative for a fracture. Knee was pretty sore obviously,” Schneider said, via Sportsnet. “Nate's one of those guys, he doesn't want to come out of a game ever. I think if he's medically good to play tomorrow, he'll be in there. So there's no fracture or anything. … We'll see how he is tomorrow.”

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Lukes was a breakout everyday player for the Blue Jays, and he recorded 1.8 fWAR in 438 plate appearances this past regular season. He recorded five RBIs in the Blue Jays' ALDS triumph over the Yankees and hit for a solid .833 OPS.

Blue Jays' offense hits a brick wall on Sunday night

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer (4) hits a home run during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

In four games in the ALDS against the Yankees, the Blue Jays scored a total of 34 runs — an average of nearly nine per ballgame. But in Game 1 of the ALCS against the Mariners, the Blue Jays couldn't muster much of anything, with Miller mowing through their lineup after Springer went yard to give Toronto an early lead.

Lukes has been very good in the postseason, and having him around certainly would give the Blue Jays a better shot at winning. It remains to be seen, however, if he will be medically cleared for Game 2.