TORONTO -- Another day, another big return for the Blue Jays.
George Springer has been activated from the 10-day injured list after breaking his left big toe on April 11, welcome news to a lineup that finally gets its leadoff man back. In a corresponding move, Eloy Jiménez has been designated for assignment.
Springer wasn’t in the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Red Sox, but he came off the bench as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the fifth and singled on the first pitch he saw, bringing home Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Springer was animated as he stood on first base, screaming back toward his dugout after delivering in his first game action in 18 days.
That was the release Springer’s been waiting for. Few players have played through as many bumps and bruises as Springer these past few years, and he didn’t want to spend another day stuck in the dugout.
“It’s brutal, honestly. I’d rather play,” Springer said after Toronto's 8-1 win at Rogers Centre. “I think everyone knows that. It was just an unfortunate thing that happened, but I’m glad to be back in there now.”
Springer has been taking at-bats on the field early in the afternoon the past few days at Rogers Centre and running the bases, simulating his own version of a rehab assignment while he got over the discomfort he’s still dealing with. One day after Trey Yesavage returned and made an excellent 2026 debut, this is another step in the right direction for a Blue Jays team that’s desperately in need of healthy bodies after an injury-riddled April.
Up top: Back to normal
Writing Springer’s name at the top of the lineup card tends to be the easiest part of manager John Schneider’s day. From there, sorting out the rest of the puzzle is so much easier.
With Springer on the IL, the Blue Jays have rotated through Ernie Clement, Davis Schneider, Nathan Lukes and Myles Straw in the leadoff spot, depending on the pitching matchup of the day. They’ve had some success here and there, but with Springer back in there, the Blue Jays can begin to max out their top half again.
The two certainties here are Springer in the leadoff spot and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at No. 3. The No. 2 job is still a bit of a revolving door without Bo Bichette, but the cleanup spot could turn into a timeshare of Kazuma Okamoto, Alejandro Kirk and Addison Barger, when everyone is healthy. Okamoto has looked great lately, finally tapping into his power, which should also help Guerrero in front of him.
Down low: Chasing matchups
The bottom of the Blue Jays’ lineup had some magic to it last season. With everyone healthy, this was where bats like Clement, Lukes, Straw, Tyler Heineman and Andrés Giménez found a home. It’s also where the Blue Jays’ coaching staff was most aggressive.
Last year, the Blue Jays made a conscious shift to prioritize their offensive upside more when they built each day’s lineup and defensive configuration. This bottom third of the lineup was their opportunity to get aggressive and play with some ideas, whether that be platooning, hit-and-runs or even leaning into bunting, which surprisingly was an area of success for this team last year.
Who’s next?
Barger could begin his rehab assignment down in Florida this coming weekend, which would put him on track to return to the Blue Jays at some point next week. Kirk’s return will eventually put this lineup back in its ideal spot, given the very limited offensive production the Blue Jays have gotten from Heineman and Brandon Valenzuela.
Barger will be a significant boost, though, for a team still looking to unlock some power upside. It seems like Guerrero has settled into the identity of a 30-homer guy with a shot at the batting title -- which plays just fine -- but the Blue Jays need steady power around him. If they’re not going to have a 2-3-4 in the lineup like they once did with Josh Donaldson, José Bautista and Edwin Encarnación, then a more spread-out approach is key here, and Barger immediately adds to that power potential up and down the lineup.