SEATTLE -- George Springer left the Blue Jays’ 6-2 loss in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series in clear pain and limping after taking a fastball directly off his right kneecap in the seventh inning.
The 95.6 mph pitch from Bryan Woo tailed in more than Springer expected and struck his right knee, which caused him to immediately drop to the ground in pain. After a long talk with the Blue Jays’ training staff and manager John Schneider, it looked like Springer would immediately be helped off the field, but the conversation kept going.
Springer limped up the first-base line with Schneider and head athletic trainer Jose Ministral, doing everything possible to stay in the game, but he finally had to accept this wasn’t going to work. Walking back to the dugout, Springer limped and grimaced.
“He's got a right knee contusion. He had X-rays, which were negative, which is a good thing,” Schneider said. “He'll probably do some more testing tonight when we get home. George is about as tough as they come. I think he'll have to really, really be hurting to not be in the lineup on Sunday.”
Then, Schneider paused. He had something else to say.
Springer has been booed relentlessly through this series, which is all fair game on the road in the ALCS. But that booing continued when Springer was getting to his feet and attempting to stay in the game.
“I know this is an awesome atmosphere to play in, and it's really, really cool to play here,” Schneider opened, “but I think the fans that were booing him should take a look in the mirror and understand what kind of player he is and -- I'll stop there, because when a guy gets hit in the knee and is in obvious pain and you have 40,000 people [taunting], not the right thing to do.”
The clubhouse felt the same. Ernie Clement had some choice words, echoing Schneider’s disappointment.
“It’s [BS],” Clement said. “I don’t know how you boo somebody who’s down on the ground hurt. I’ve had a lot of respect for all the Mariners fans, especially the ones I’ve talked to throughout the series. I think they’ve been awesome, but that was a tough moment. That’s pretty classless.”
You cannot overstate the value of George Springer to this team and cannot replace his value. Springer drove in Toronto’s first run of the game with a double into the gap in the fifth -- his sixth postseason game in a row with an extra-base hit -- as he has carried his incredible 2025 season right into October.
Yes, there’s early optimism that Springer will play Sunday in Game 6, but that was a 96 mph heater to the kneecap. While X-rays came back clean, the next two days will be used to monitor the swelling and how Springer is able to run. Is it just pain management, or will it impact his performance too significantly?
Joey Loperfido, who joined the roster Thursday as the injury replacement for Anthony Santander, entered the game for Springer to run the bases. If Springer is unable to play in Game 6, the fact he’s being used as the DH opens up some other options for the Blue Jays, too, including Davis Schneider.
If this injury is serious, removing Springer from the ALCS roster would make him ineligible for the World Series, just like Santander. Because of this, the Blue Jays would surely be willing to carry an injured Springer through Game 6 and a potential Game 7 if there’s any chance he would be able to play in the World Series.
Bo Bichette remains a fascinating option, but he’s still trying to build back up from his left knee sprain in early September, and while he has been running in Seattle, he hasn’t yet checked off every box the Blue Jays need to see from him. Desperate times open new doors, and Bichette would be trying to kick one of those doors down, but someone like Ty France still feels like a likelier option if a replacement is needed.
Springer is an essential piece of this team’s identity, though. If you want to see a play that represents the 2025 Blue Jays, watch Springer score from first on a base hit, gritting his teeth and shouting into the air as he blazes around third. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the superstar, but Springer is the leader everyone follows in these big moments.
The Blue Jays need him back. But if he’s not ready to play Sunday, that’s just one more reason for Toronto to stave off elimination and extend the season.