George Springer

Blue Jays Place Santiago Espinal On 10-Day Injured List

By Darragh McDonald | August 29, 2021 at 1:07pm CDT

The Blue Jays have placed Santiago Espinal on the IL with a right hip flexor strain, per a club announcement. His roster spot will go to Jarrod Dyson, who was claimed off waivers from the Royals on Friday.

Espinal has been a solid fill-in for the Blue Jays this season, slashing .290/.354/.378 for a wRC+ of 105, while playing third base. He’s seen his playing time increase due to the multiple IL stints of Cavan Biggio this year. With Espinal now out and Biggio recently suffering a setback during his rehab, the Jays will likely turn to Kevin Smith and Breyvic Valera at the hot corner. Smith, who got the start at third today, is off to a slow start to his MLB career, though in a tiny sample of just seven games. Valera’s only had 46 plate appearances this year, producing a meager wRC+ of 45, thanks to a line of .227/.261/.273.

As for Dyson, he will be hard-pressed to get regular playing time, given that the Jays have an outfield of Teoscar Hernandez, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Randal Grichuk and Corey Dickerson. George Springer also seems poised to return soon, with the star outfielder telling Jon Morosi of MLB Network that he hopes to be back as soon as tomorrow. Whether his own self-assessment lines up with the team’s vision remains to be seen. This is Springer’s third IL stint of the season, only appearing in 49 games so far this year. He’s made his limited time count, however, slashing .269/.362/.610, a wRC+ of 157. If he can return in that form, he would be a huge boost for a Blue Jays team that has slipped to 6 1/2 games out of a playoff spot in his absence.

AL East Notes: Archer, Cruz, Urshela, Blue Jays

By Darragh McDonald | August 22, 2021 at 9:03pm CDT

Chris Archer’s long-awaited return from the IL didn’t go as planned. The righty returned to the hill today after spending more than four months on the shelf, but then left the game after throwing 41 pitches over two innings due to hip tightness. Although Archer initially went on the IL in April because of forearm tightness, his rehab was slowed by hip soreness in recent weeks. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times relays word from Rays’ manager Kevin Cash, who says that today’s hip soreness was not in the same spot as the previous hip issues. Archer himself told Joey Johnston of the Tampa Bay Times that coming out of the game was precautionary. “I noticed a little drop in my fastball [velocity], and I felt the tightness in my hip,” Archer said. “…I thought it was smart to take a little breather, leave it at two innings.” The hurler has now thrown just 6 1/3 innings since the end of the 2019 season, after missing all of 2020 because of undergoing surgery to correct thoracic outlet syndrome. Whether this is a minor setback or something more serious remains to be seen. In spite of his early exit, the Rays racked up a 9-0 victory over the White Sox, moving to 4 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees.

Blue Jays Place George Springer On Injured List

By Steve Adams | August 18, 2021 at 11:45am CDT

Aug. 18: Springer has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 sprain in his left knee, the Blue Jays announced. While it’s encouraging that he’s dealing with a low-grade sprain, it’s still not clear when the Jays expect him to be able to return to the field.

Aug. 17: The Blue Jays are placing outfielder George Springer on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left knee, manager Charlie Montoyo announced to reporters (Twitter link via TSN’s Scott Mitchell). Springer recently complained of discomfort in his knee, and an MRI revealed the current issue. There’s no timetable being provided for his return at the moment. Toronto is calling up infield/outfield prospect Otto Lopez to replace Springer on the active roster.

It’s a major blow to the Blue Jays, particularly given the lack of timeline on Springer’s return. The 31-year-old slugger inked a franchise-record six-year, $150MM contract with the Jays over the winter and has spent considerable time on the IL this season owing to a prior quadriceps strain. He’s looked every bit like the high-end slugger the Jays hoped to be acquiring when he’s been healthy enough to take the field, however; in 49 games and 211 plate appearances, Springer has posted a .269/.362/.610 batting line with 16 home runs, 12 doubles, a triple and a pair of steals.

Springer’s return to the injured list likely means the Jays will go with a combination of Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Randal Grichuk, Teoscar Hernandez, Corey Dickerson and Lopez between the outfield and designated hitter slots in the lineup. The trio of Gurriel, Grichuk and Hernandez was quite productive early in the 2021 campaign while Springer mended that quad injury, but Grichuk’s bat has wilted considerably over the past couple months. Still, he’s the only real center field option on the roster at present, although the Jays could select the recently acquired Mallex Smith to the MLB roster as an alternative.

Lopez, 22, ranks as the Blue Jays’ No. 23 prospect over at FanGraphs and has enjoyed a strong season split between Double-A and Triple-A. In 359 plate appearances, mostly coming in Double-A, he’s slashed .324/.398/.451 with three home runs, 25 doubles, three triples and a dozen stolen bases (in 15 tries).

Springer’s new injury comes at a time when the Jays are nine games over the .500 mark but nevertheless eight games behind the division-leading Rays in the American League East. They’re a more manageable four games out of the hunt for the second AL Wild Card spot. The loss of Springer, even for a short time, puts a serious dent in their hopes of overcoming that deficit. Eleven of Toronto’s next 15 games come against clubs with sub-.500 records, but Springer’s absence will surely be quite palpable.

George Springer Leaves Game With “Mild” Ankle Sprain

By Mark Polishuk | August 15, 2021 at 9:43pm CDT

9:43PM: In more positive news on Springer’s condition, Montoyo told The Toronto Star’s Gregor Chisholm and other reporters that the outfielder has improved enough that the team hasn’t needed to do further tests on the ankle.

TODAY, 2:08AM: X-rays were negative on Springer’s leg, as manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters (including Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling) that Springer is day-to-day with a mild left ankle sprain.

AUGUST 14: Blue Jays center fielder George Springer left tonight’s game with an apparent injury to his lower left leg. Springer made an awkward landing while attempting to catch a Ty France triple to the wall in the seventh inning, and Springer immediately grabbed at his ankle area after hitting the ground. He was able to walk off the field under his own power, albeit gingerly.

It certainly looks like another trip to the injured list is coming for Springer, who has already missed a big chunk of his first Blue Jays season. Springer has played in only 49 games due to an oblique strain and a pair of quad strains, and it isn’t surprising that Springer’s eventual return resulted in a big uptick in the Jays’ performance.

When Springer has played, he has lived up to the expectations created by his six-year, $150MM free agent deal. Springer has hit .269/.362/.610 with 16 home runs over 211 plate appearances, good for a 158 wRC+. Over a full season, this would represent a new career best for Springer, who had a 157 wRC+ in 556 PA and 122 games with the Astros in 2019.

This type of production can’t really be replaced, and losing Springer for any amount of time will represent a major blow to Toronto’s playoff chances. The Jays do at least have some outfield depth, as without Springer, the new alignment would likely be Teoscar Hernandez in right field, Randal Grichuk in center field, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Corey Dickerson sharing time in left field and probably also DH duty. Cavan Biggio and rookie Josh Palacios can also factor into the outfield mix when they return from the injured list.

Blue Jays Activate George Springer

By Anthony Franco | June 22, 2021 at 4:08pm CDT

The Blue Jays announced that star outfielder George Springer has been reinstated from the injured list before tonight’s game against the Marlins. He’ll get the start in center field, hitting fifth in the order. The team also activated recently-acquired righty Jacob Barnes and optioned first baseman Rowdy Tellez and outfielder Jonathan Davis to Triple-A Buffalo. Additionally, outfielder Jared Hoying has passed through waivers and been sent outright to Buffalo.

Springer returns for the first time since May 2. Toronto’s prized offseason signee missed the first month of the year with a right quad strain. He made his team debut on April 28, appeared in four games, and then reinjured that quad. His second quad strain of the season knocked him out of action for almost seven weeks.

Surely, the Jays and their fans are hoping that today marks a new beginning for Springer. The 31-year-old was one of the sport’s top performers on both sides of the ball throughout his tenure in Houston, inspiring the Jays to hand him a six-year deal over the offseason. He’ll further deepen a Jays lineup that has been one of the league’s best even in spite of his absence. Toronto hitters have a .262/.326/.447 cumulative slash line, the fourth-best mark in the league.

The Jays just selected Hoying to the roster last week. He only appeared in two games, logging three hitless plate appearances, before being removed. Hoying, who played for the Rangers from 2016-17 and had spent the past three seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization, has the right to reject the outright assignment in favor of free agency.

Blue Jays Notes: Jansen, Springer, Biggio, Hatch, Borucki

By Mark Polishuk | June 7, 2021 at 2:15pm CDT

Catcher Danny Jansen suffered a right hamstring strain that forced him out of Sunday’s 6-3 Blue Jays loss to the Astros. Jansen was hurt running the bases trying to beat out a fielder’s choice in the third inning, and Reese McGuire took over at catcher for the top of the fourth. Jays manager Charlie Montoyo told MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson and other reporters that Jansen would receive tests both yesterday and today to determine the extent of the strain.

With Alejandro Kirk already on the 60-day injured list, losing Jansen to the IL would leave Toronto with a catching depth chart of McGuire and (in all likelihood) Riley Adams, who is hitting .250/.410/.600 over 78 plate appearances at Triple-A this season. Adams had never played at the Triple-A level prior to this season, and he doesn’t officially have any big league experience — the Blue Jays called Adams up for a three-day cup of coffee on the active roster in early May, though Adams didn’t appear in any games. While McGuire is the more experienced option, his struggles at the plate over the last two seasons would perhaps mean that McGuire and Adams would be deployed in a platoon, as the youngster’s Triple-A production certainly seems to warrant a look against Major League pitching.

Injury Notes: Contreras, Springer, Dozier

By Mark Polishuk | May 24, 2021 at 11:59am CDT

The Cubs’ 2-1 victory over the Cardinals last night came with some pain for Willson Contreras, as the backstop was hit in the wrist while trying to catch a pitch from Craig Kimbrel in the 10th inning. Contreras remained in the game after being checked out by trainers, though Cubs manager David Ross told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian) that he initially was worried that Contreras had broken his wrist.

While it seems like the worst has been avoided, Contreras could quite possibly sit out Chicago’s next game (on Tuesday against the Pirates) for precautionary reasons, and an injured-list trip probably shouldn’t be ruled out given the vagaries of wrist injuries. This would create a vacuum behind the plate for the Cubs, as normal backup Austin Romine is on the 60-day IL due to a sprained wrist. Rookie P.J. Higgins is current acting as Contreras’ backup, and veterans Tony Wolters and Jose Lobaton are at Triple-A but not on the 40-man roster — Wolters was only just outrighted off the 40-man on Saturday.

More on other injury situations from around baseball..

There isn’t much new on George Springer’s status, as Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters (including Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith) that Springer is “improving” but there isn’t yet any sense of when the outfielder might begin a rehab assignment or be ready to rejoin the lineup. Springer is, however, accompanying the Jays on their upcoming road trip. Due to an oblique strain and a pair of quad strains, Springer has played in only four games for Toronto this season.
The Royals moved Hunter Dozier from the seven-day concussion IL to the regular 10-day IL, which could be a hint that he is nearing a return to the lineup. Dozier went to the seven-day IL on May 14 after a collision with Jose Abreu on the basepaths, so he has already been absent for the minimum 10 days and could be activated as early as tomorrow, when the Royals begin a series against the Rays. Dozier has already played in two Triple-A rehab games. Over 124 plate appearances this season, Dozier has yet to get going, as he has hit only .139/.202/.339 with five homers.

Blue Jays Place George Springer On Injured List

By Anthony Franco | May 5, 2021 at 10:59pm CDT

The Blue Jays are placing George Springer back on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 3, with a right quad strain (via Shi Davidi of Sportsnet). The star center fielder reaggravated the same injury that kept him out for almost all of April. It’s unclear how long the team expects him to be sidelined this time around, but Springer was sent for an MRI earlier today, per Gregor Chisholm of the Toronto Star (Twitter link). In a corresponding move, Jonathan Davis has been recalled from Triple-A Buffalo.

It’s tough to imagine a worse start to Springer’s tenure in Toronto. The 31-year-old strained an oblique in Spring Training. On the cusp of returning from that injury, he suffered the aforementioned first quad strain. The quad delayed his regular season debut by a few weeks, and it’s causing him issue yet again.

Altogether, the series of injuries has limited Springer to 18 plate appearances in four games. That’s certainly not what he or the Jays imagined when he signed the offseason’s biggest free agent guarantee (six years, $150MM) over the winter. While Springer went on the IL each season from 2017-19, those absences generally didn’t keep him out long. He tallied 550+ plate appearances every year from 2016-19 and avoided the IL in 2020, playing in 51 of a possible 60 games. Of course, Springer earned that massive contract with an extended run of productivity, hitting .273/.363/.500 (135 wRC+) over his final five seasons with the Astros.

With Springer out for the season’s first month, the Jays turned to Randal Grichuk and Davis to cover center field. Grichuk, who has hit a strong .287/.330/.475, is likely in line for the lion’s share of playing time there yet again. Davis got off to a dreadful start to the year before being optioned after Springer came off the IL last week.

Injury Notes: Diaz, Springer, Arihara

By TC Zencka | May 3, 2021 at 8:23am CDT

Let’s begin our Monday morning by rounding up some injury news from yesterday’s games…

Edwin Diaz left last night’s game against the Phillies after serving up a two-run double to Rhys Hoskins. Diaz was dealing with some back pain, but it doesn’t sound like the Mets are overly concerned, per Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). The Mets held on for the win anyway, pulling ahead of the Phillies into a tie for first place with the Nationals. Diaz has a 4.22 ERA/2.17 FIP in 10 2/3 innings so far with three saves, a slightly-depressed 31.8 percent strikeout rate and 11.4 percent walk rate. His velocity has been good so far this year with an average 98.8 mph fastball. If he misses time, Jeurys Familia could step in as he did last name, when he snagged the final out for the save.
George Springer was pulled from yesterday’s game because of fatigue in his legs, writes Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca. A quad injury has been bothering Springer as he tries to round himself into regular season form. While it’s a little concerning to see Springer pulled from just his fourth game of the year, it doesn’t sound as if the Blue Jays anticipate another injured list stint. Said manager Charlie Montoyo, “He felt it a little bit and we said, ’OK, there’s no sense with this hot weather and stuff to force you to hit another at-bat or run or something. So, let’s just stop right there.'”
Kohei Arihara received an injection in his right middle finger recently to help with some soreness around a callus, but he’s still likely to miss at least one start and potentially even land on the injured list, per MLB.com’s Daniel Guerrero. With Arihara set to miss time, Hyeon-jong Yang will move into the rotation. Yang has been good in two longer stints out of the pen, allowing just two earned runs in 8 2/3 innings. Yang was a starter in the KBO, though the 33-year-old is coming off a less-than-stellar year in which he racked up a 4.70 ERA in 172 1/3 innings over 31 starts for the Kia Tigers.

Blue Jays Activate George Springer, Place Hyun Jin Ryu On 10-Day IL

By Connor Byrne | April 28, 2021 at 4:28pm CDT

Center fielder George Springer will make his long-awaited Blue Jays debut Wednesday against the Nationals, the team announced. Springer will serve as Toronto’s designated hitter and bat in the leadoff spot. In other moves, the Blue Jays placed left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu on the 10-day injured list with a right glute strain, optioned first baseman/DH Rowdy Tellez to its alternate site and recalled lefty Travis Bergen.

The Blue Jays signed Springer to the offseason’s richest free-agent guarantee, a six-year, $150MM pact, but have not gotten a single at-bat from the ex-Astros standout this year. Springer suffered an oblique strain during the spring, and just when it appeared he would return, he went down with a quad strain. The three-time All-Star didn’t recover from the latter injury as quickly as expected, so the club has spent the month relying on Randal Grichuk and Jonathan Davis in center.

Grichuk has hit a more-than-respectable .289/.345/.500 with four home runs in 84 plate appearances, thus helping the Springer-less Jays stay afloat in the early going with an even 11-11 record. Springer has enjoyed a much better career than Grichuk, though, having slashed .270/.361/.491 hitter with 174 homers over 3,587 PA. The 31-year-old is also above average in the outfield, where he has posted 26 Defensive Runs Saved and a 10.4 Ultimate Zone Rating since entering the league in 2014.

Springer’s activation spells bad news for Tellez, who has gotten off to a poor start this year with a .183/.222/.267 line and one homer in 63 trips to the plate. Those numbers are a far cry from Tellez’s output in 2020, when it appeared the 26-year-old broke out with a .283/.346/.540 showing and slugged eight HRs over 127 PA.

The Springer addition is a welcome one for Toronto’s offense, but the Ryu loss is a tough blow for its pitching staff. Ryu’s IL placement is retroactive to April 26, but he’ll still miss at least one start. The Jays’ ace exited his latest start this past Sunday after throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings against the Rays, and has recorded a 2.60 ERA on the season over 27 2/3 frames. Ryu, Ross Stripling, T.J. Zeuch and Nate Pearson represent starting options on the IL for the club, which will somehow have to battle through those absences and cobble together a rotation.

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