Saskatchewan Roughriders place returner James Letcher Jr. on six-game injured list

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The Saskatchewan Roughriders will have to rely on a fresh-faced returner when they face the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday.

James Letcher Jr. has been placed on the six-game injured list with an elbow problem suffered on his first touch in Week 4. He was acquired by the Riders in free agency after a successful stint with the Montreal Alouettes.

Rookie American receiver Mathew Sexton is expected to take over Letcher’s return duties. The five-foot-ten, 176-pound target signed with the Riders after a rookie camp stint with the Ottawa Redblacks and caught nine passes for 112 yards in the preseason, while adding four punt returns for 31 yards, four kickoff returns for 75 yards, and a missed field goal return for 53 yards. The 28-year-old played collegiately at Eastern Michigan, where he made 100 receptions for 1,135 yards and nine touchdowns, while returning 21 kickoffs for 353 yards and one punt for 27 yards. He has since had stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, Vegas Vipers, Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, and San Antonio Brahmas.

Elsewhere, American receiver Jaylen Johnson, who has nine receptions for 117 yards through three games, has been placed on the one-game injured list with a shoulder issue.

Johnny Johnson III will draw into the starting lineup for the first time in his career, after recording four catches for 64 yards and a touchdown in the preseason. The 27-year-old was a collegiate standout at the University of Oregon, where he made 139 catches for 1,928 yards and 15 touchdowns over 57 career games. He later played two NFL games for the Houston Texans.

Canadian receiver Dhel Duncan-Busby will also return to the lineup after a one-game absence, sending D’Sean Mimbs back to the practice roster. Local product Daniel Wiebe will continue to dress after scoring his first touchdown last week, while Samuel Emilus is good to go despite an injury scare last week.

Defensively, Nelson Lokombo returns from an ankle injury, but will not take back his safety spot from Jaxon Ford. Instead, he will step in at boundary halfback for Jonathan Edouard. American defensive back Seyi Oladipo Jr. has been returned to the practice roster. Along the defensive line, former first-round pick Ali Saad has been placed on the six-game with a calf injury and will be replaced by American Devin Adams.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders (2-1) will visit the Ottawa Redblacks (0-3) at TD Place Stadium on Friday, July 3, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EDT. The Roughriders are coming off a 40-34 loss to the Toronto Argonauts, while the Redblacks dropped a 37-35 matchup against the Montreal Alouettes.

The weather forecast in Ottawa calls for a high of 30 degrees and a 70 percent chance of rain. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS2 in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 620 CKRM in Regina or TSN 1200 in Ottawa.