Edwin Encarnacion leaves Blue Jays' loss to Athletics, likely headed to the DL

The Blue Jays' sputtering offence could be handed a big blow as it appears first baseman Edwin Encarnacion is headed to the DL.

Encarnacion was injured trying to beat out a double play at first base in the first inning of Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Athletics and was helped off the field favouring his right leg.

Encarnacion is expected to undergo an MRI on Sunday to assess the severity of the injury, which is officially being described as "right quadriceps soreness". The 31-year-old slugger leads the team with 26 home runs and a .593 slugging percentage and his absence would leave a major hole in the Blue Jays' lineup.

Toronto has lost the first three games of a four-game series in Oakland and are now one game back of the Orioles in the AL East.

After posting a 21-9 record in May and averaging 5.5 runs per game, the offence has cooled down significantly. They've been held to three runs or less in six of their last 10 games.

Adam Lind, who has been used primarily as the DH or as a pinch hitter this season, could be forced into more regular action. According to MLB.com's Gregor Chisolm, Jose Bautista is open to playing first base or third base if it helps manager John Gibbons. Triple-A first baseman Dan Johnson is also an option if Encarnacion is sidelined for an extended period of time.