Blue Jays Star George Springer Takes Another Massive Step in Injury Recovery
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The Toronto Blue Jays have been dealing with an injury situation early this year which can only be described as a crisis with so many key contributors both offensively and pitching wise on the shelf.
Much of the narrative has revolved around the pitching staff due to the inconsistency there outside of the top names, but with Nathan Lukes joining Addison Barger and Alejandro Kirk on the IL, the offensive situation may be worse.
No one is tougher to replace than veteran designated hitter George Springer, who has been out for the last couple weeks due to a fractured left big toe. It sounds like he is on his way back to the field and could return very soon though.
On Monday, Springer faced live pitching on the field for the first time as well as running the bases, telling media that things went well and he plans to take regular batting practice as he gets closer to getting back in the lineup.
Springer Optimistic About Imminent Blue Jays Return
"I had a good day, I'm excited about it," Springer said via Shi Davidi of SportsNet after the session before explaining how he is managing the pain in his toe. "I know it's going to be there, and it is what it is. My swing was in a good place, not bad for not being out there for a while. So, I'll take it for sure."
Springer was not having the strongest start to the year with a slash line of just .185/.290/.370 over 14 games, though he did have two home runs and six RBI across what was a small sample size. Last year was probably his best season since coming to Toronto.
In 2025, Springer had a 4.8 bWAR over 140 games including some extremely clutch playoff moments, slashing .309/.399/.560 with 32 home runs and 84 RBI.
Blue Jays Getting Springer Back Could Be Just What They Need
After being shutout 5-0 in the series opener against the Boston Red Sox on Monday, Toronto fell to 12-16 and just a half game out of last place in the American League East.
The consistency from a team who just went to the World Series has not been there over the first month of the season, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that injuries are a massive part of the reason why.
While getting Springer back -- which does seem to be imminent here over the next week or so -- will provide a big boost, the Blue Jays are going to have to keep on riding this thing out until they can get back to full strength.
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Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.