Toronto Blue Jays All-Star Ernie Clement will be taking on a different spot in the lineup for Monday's game against the San Francisco Giants.
The 30-year-old Clement will be leading off the Blue Jays, the second time he has done so this season. The move comes after Toronto was shut out in back-to-back games over the weekend.
Clement normally bats in the middle of the order, with a few exceptions. His last extended run came in April, when George Springer was out with an injury and he slid back down once Springer returned. Nathan Lukes also moves up into the two-spot behind Clement, with Springer available off the bench, per Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi. Kevin Gausman is on the mound opposite the Giants right-hander Landen Roupp.
Manager John Schneider called the move a "little bit of a shakeup" as the Blue Jays try to generate more offense.
Clement enters play batting .293 with a .745 OPS and 29 RBIs this season, numbers that helped him earn All-Star honors with the highest vote total in the American League. He's set to start at second base for the AL in next Tuesday's All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. He also leads the AL with 22 doubles and has already hit seven home runs, putting him on pace to surpass the career-high 12 he set two years ago.
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Toronto's offense, one of the sport's best a season ago, has fallen off sharply in 2026. If Clement and the reshuffled lineup can get things going, the Blue Jays will hope the move sparks a turnaround and improves the team's chances of making the postseason as they head into the second half of the season.
