Veteran Gets Call as Toronto Blue Jays Adjust to George Springer's Injury
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The Toronto Blue Jays have had to pivot several times this season already due to injured players, with veteran outfielder George Springer being the latest victim. Springer hits the injured list after suffering a fractured toe against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.
While Springer hadn't performed tremendously at the plate, his presence in the lineup and the clubhouse is very valuable, and without him, another spark has to prevail. In recent transaction news, Toronto is calling up another veteran to fill in for Springer while he recovers from injury.
Blue Jays Call Up Eloy Jiménez
As announced on Sunday morning, the Blue Jays have selected the contract of veteran outfielder/designated hitter Eloy Jiménez to the major leagues. Jiménez signed a one-year minor league deal with the franchise, but now gets another chance in the show.
The former promising prospect for the Chicago White Sox has made several pit stops in his career since the Sox's rebuild, including one half-season with the Baltimore Orioles and 2025 in the minor league affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Jiménez performed well this spring with the Blue Jays, hitting .286 at the dish with two home runs, collecting 22 total bases. Looking to revive his career, this is an opportunity to do just that, so long as he sticks to being the designated hitter.
Jiménez showed early in his career with the White Sox that he has some serious power at the plate. Hitting 31 home runs in 2019, followed by a 14-home run season in 2020, Jiménez was on fire to start his MLB career. That quickly was halted in the following seasons.
He seemingly lost that power at the plate in recent years, having only hit six home runs between Chicago and Baltimore in 2024. So far into his 2026 campaign in Triple-A, Jiménez has collected one home run and driven in five RBIs, while holding at a .257 average at the plate.
His goal in this call-up should be to focus on making good contact at the plate and limiting strikeouts. Jiménez's power is the plus side to his game; speed hasn't always been his greatest strength. But speed doesn't matter when you hit a ball over the wall; you can go at your own pace around the bases.
Springer will likely return to Toronto at some point this season to finish the final year on contract before becoming a free agent once again, but Jiménez has to prove he deserves to stay in his absence.
Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.