Notebook: Brendon LaBatte returns to practice

OTTAWA — Brendon LaBatte’s 2017 season appeared to be over on Nov. 4.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ veteran guard was loaded onto a cart and driven to the CFL team’s locker room that evening after sustaining an injury to his left leg in a 28-13 loss to the Edmonton Eskimos at Mosaic Stadium.

Late last week, the 31-year-old product of Weyburn did some on-field work with the Roughriders in Regina in advance of Sunday’s East Division semifinal against the host Ottawa Redblacks. But Saskatchewan head coach-GM Chris Jones ruled LaBatte out for that game and his availability for the rest of the season was up in the air.

On Wednesday, however, LaBatte was on the field as the Roughriders practised at Carleton University. His hope is that he can play Sunday when Saskatchewan visits the Toronto Argonauts in the East Division final.

“We’ll see how tomorrow goes,” LaBatte said. “(The workout Wednesday) is the most I’ve been able to do since this happened, so we’ll see how I react and how I’m feeling in the morning.

“(Playing Sunday) is my goal. That’s what I’m trying to do. But if I can’t be productive and be healthy, then there’s no sense in me being out there if I can’t go through a whole game.”

LaBatte didn’t know the severity of the injury when it happened, but he couldn’t put enough weight on the leg to get to the locker room. Subsequent examinations of his leg determined nothing was torn or ruptured, so there was a glimmer of hope that he could play again this season.

After undergoing some rehabilitation, LaBatte made the trip to Ottawa for Sunday’s division semifinal. But he didn’t play in Saskatchewan’s 31-20 victory over the hometown Redblacks — a win that gave him another chance to play Sunday in Toronto if his recovery continues.

“I’ve just got to know that it’s going to hold up and not go away on me throughout the game,” said LaBatte, who wouldn’t discuss the nature of the injury. “My biggest thing is if you’re going to start something, you’ve got to finish it.

“I’m not doing anybody any good if I get myself into something that I can’t finish. My biggest thing this week is to make sure that if I do feel like I’m good to go that I know I can go the full 60 minutes.”

The Roughriders used Derek Dennis at left guard in place of LaBatte against Ottawa — and Dennis helped the offence produce 212 yards rushing while keeping quarterback Kevin Glenn from being sacked.

In other words, the team does have a solid replacement for LaBatte if he can’t go in Toronto.

“We’re going to be cautious with him, just to see exactly where he’s at,” Jones said. “Tomorrow, he’s going to let me know how he feels after pushing it today.

“In the morning, he’s going to get up and do some (individual drills) and then we’ll see where we’re at.”

•••

Like LaBatte, Roughriders safety Marc-Olivier Brouillette needed his teammates to win Sunday’s game so that he could play again this season.

The 31-year-old Brouillette was a late scratch Sunday because his wife, Brittany Knapp, delivered a baby boy earlier in the day. Calvin Beau Brouillette entered the world at 3:02 a.m., weighing in at six pounds 15 ounces.

Mother and baby needed some extra care, so they stayed overnight in an Ottawa hospital. The situation was such that Brouillette had to stay too, so the Roughriders decided to scratch him and activate receiver Chris Getzlaf.

“It was good for Marco,” Jones said. “I’m proud that everybody’s safe and sound now and back home. I called and told him, ‘Hey, family’s first, man. Don’t worry about the game. You handle your family business first and we’ll worry about this football stuff second.’ ”

With Brittany and Calvin now at home in Montreal, Brouillette could be on the roster for Sunday’s game in Toronto. His son’s arrival — on the first day of the CFL playoffs — could be a topic of discussion in the future.

“It was poor timing on his part,” Brouillette said with a chuckle, “and I’ll make sure to remind him when he’s old enough to understand.”

•••

According to a simulation done by the folks at CFL.ca, the Roughriders are the team that is least likely to reach the Grey Cup game.

The computers looked at a number of factors and determined there was a 7.82-per-cent chance that Saskatchewan will meet the Calgary Stampeders in the title game and a 12.19-per-cent chance that the Roughriders will face the Eskimos.

Saskatchewan gladly will accept the underdog role.

“They’re just numbers,” defensive back Ed Gainey said. “The real numbers don’t lie. I don’t know how they come up with those numbers, but we’re just going to continue to use all the negativity, the doubters and the naysayers as motivation.”

The odds that Edmonton will face Toronto in the Grey Cup game were 48.17 per cent, while a Calgary-Toronto final came in at 31.82 per cent.

•••

The Roughriders announced Wednesday the addition of receiver Mitchell Picton to the practice roster.

The 22-year-old Regina product was selected by Saskatchewan in the fifth round (37^th overall) of the 2017 CFL draft and attended the Roughriders’ training camp. He returned to the University of Regina Rams for the 2017 Canada West season and caught 53 passes for 761 yards and eight touchdowns in eight regular-season games.

“It’s a good opportunity for him to grow as a football player,” Jones said when asked about bringing in Picton at this stage of the season. “We drafted him for a reason, to be part of our organization.”