Considering what the Blue Jays are facing currently, even bad luck sounds like an understatement. They are currently standing at 15-17, and while there’s a lot to be concerned about in their stats, it’s their injury list that looks scarier. The Blue Jays lost Nathan Lukes a few days ago with a left hamstring strain. Their offense took a huge beating then, but the worst was about to come.
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It came during the third game against the Twins on Saturday. Target Field stood still, the Jays’ medical team rushed, and their $150 million veteran left the field in pain.
“George Springer was just hit directly on the left big toe, which he fractured. He’s down in pain. The Blue Jays trainers are out. He is leaving the game,” MLB insider Keegan Matheson shared via X.
After Nathan Lukes, it’s George Springer now. The drama unfolded in the third inning when Springer took an HBP off the Twins’ Connor Prielipp. A filthy slider hit sharply onto Springer’s front foot, dropping Springer in visible pain. He was immediately attended by the Jays’ head trainer, Jose Ministral, and manager John Schneider, and taken off the field. Pinch-runner Jesús Sánchez came in as his replacement.
The worst part, and what made the scene terrifying for the Toronto fans, is the history of the foot he took the hit on. Just three weeks ago, on April 11, Springer fractured his left big toe after fouling a ball off his foot. The opponent in that game? The Minnesota Twins
That fracture caused him to miss 15 games. Saturday was just his fourth game since coming off the IL. Just before the game, Schneider said he is “doing all right, not getting any worse and not putting himself in harm’s way. It’s like playoff George. He’s grinding through it.” Springer’s effort was visible when he made four hits in his first three games back.
George Springer was just hit directly on the left big toe he fractured. He's down in pain. The #BlueJays trainers are out. He is leaving the game.
But as it seems like the baseball god wants to test the Jays more, haunting memory with Springer is back again. Toronto’s roster is already stretched thin.
Lukes is on the sidelines, who was hitting .250. Addison Barger is beginning his rehab assignment Sunday in Single-A Dunedin, so he should be ready by the end of next week. Their 2025 American League pennant hero, Alejandro Kirk, is also in the IL. So, the Jays’ offense has taken enough beatings. And apart from this, the starting rotation is also battered.
Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce, Shane Bieber, and Jose Berrios are all in the IL or rehabbing.
So, with such a scene, the Blue Jays fans are more concerned about the survivability of the team over their current stats. Now that Springer is out, fans are left in disbelief.
The Blue Jays fans are left clueless
Is this the worst the Blue Jays are facing? Fans wonder. “Minny is another Trop. House of pain. Literally,” one fan said. Presently, the “house of pain” perfectly defines the Jays. In the case of both Lukes and Spirnger, both came out to bat and winched in pain after a start. Kirk took a hit on his thumb and was sidelined with a fractured thumb.
So, every time the Blue Jays batters hit the box, fans stay on the edge to witness the next one coming out of the “house of pain.”
“Full body bubble wrap from now on. F— this s—. The guy is a magnet,” another added. Well, bubble wrapping the Jays players might be the last option to save them from injuries. Especially when it comes to an injury magnet like Springer. Before his fractured toe, he exited Game 3 of the World Series with a right side/oblique injury after previously battling knee and wrist soreness.
Last August, he was placed on the 7-day concussion IL after being hit in the helmet by a 96 mph fastball. “It doesn’t end…,” another user remarked.
However, we also wonder why Springer was not equipped with steel-toed boots, especially when he is coming back from a foot injury. “That’s why we wear steel-toed boots at work, people,” one fan said. “Absolutely insane that there wasn’t a heavy guard on that foot,” another added.
Many batters, particularly those who “crowd” the plate, wear protective guards on their lead foot to protect against fouling a ball off their own feet or being hit by a pitch. Just how the pitch touched Springer’s foot on Saturday could have been avoided with protective gear. The Blue Jays’ front office could have a better justification for why Springer missed this despite his toe injury.
After the game, manager John Schneider finally gave everyone some good news. X-rays confirmed the pitch didn’t cause any new damage, just the fracture he already had. Since Springer already had Sunday off, the team would be hoping that he would be alright in a couple of days. However, nothing is confirmed as of now.
Nevertheless, things started getting serious for the Blue Jays. A few more injuries, and we wonder how the roster will look then.
