George Springer Injury Progression Step in Right Direction for Blue Jays
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Toronto Blue Jays leadoff hitter George Springer fractured his left big toe on April 11 and is finally making a step in the right direction.
Fans initially hoped he would return quickly from injury, and it appears that's what fans will get. Springer was spotted running with Toronto's head trainer, Jose Ministral, before the Blue Jays game on Tuesday night in Anaheim, Calif.
George Springer is doing some light running with progressively more intensity, monitored by Blue Jays head trainer Jose Ministral. pic.twitter.com/6leWjb1DFm
— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) April 21, 2026
Not only is he continuing to climb toward a return physically, but the team also verbalized it on Monday. "It would be great if he was ready on Friday," manager John Schneider said, to reporters, including SportsNet's Shi Davidi.
Toronto begins a three-game home series against the Cleveland Guardians on Friday, and would love to have Springer back in the lineup. The Blue Jays entered Tuesday night 3-6 since Springer went on the injured list, and the offense has been abysmal.
Prior to Sunday afternoon's 10-4 victory over the Diamondbacks, they had scored more than two runs once over the last four games, and it was a three-run effort. Having Springer's veteran presence return to the lineup will be a big plus, but he wasn't playing well to begin the season.
Toronto Hopes George Springer Returns To Form
He posted a .185/.290/.370 slash line with two homers, four doubles, and six RBI over 14 games before the injury. He walked eight times but struck out 14 times over those two weeks. Despite his struggle, Schneider remains steadfast in batting him lead off.
He was penciled in first in the lineup every game he played, after batting all over the lineup last season. He only hit first in 39 games last season, but posted a .351 average and 1.117 OPS. When batting second last season, he hit .371 with a 1.096 OPS.
He has hit well at the top of the lineup, but historically takes time to heat up. His .245/.325/.431 career March/April slash line is the worst producing month throughout his career. He typically heats up once May comes around, and even at age-36, he's an offensive threat in many ways.
If the Blue Jays can get Springer back in the lineup this weekend, that would be a blessing in more ways than one. Toronto is dealing with a plethora of injuries, including Alejandro Kirk, Addison Barger, Anthony Santander, and a vast majority of the starting rotation.
The Blue Jays slump is majorlly because of the injuries, and getting Springer back would be huge.
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Jeffrey is a sports writer located in Louisville, Kentucky, with a passion for sports, writing, and storytelling. He has hundreds of published articles across various platforms, including Kentucky Today, The Baptist Courier, FanSided, and more. Jeffrey is a senior at Indiana University Southeast pursuing a B.S. in Journalism/Media with a Minor in Writing. He has a beautiful wife, dog, and firstborn child on the way.