The Toronto Blue Jays are starting to find some rhythm after a slow start to the 2026 season. They enter the second game of their series against the Tampa Bay Rays with a 16-19 record and are winners of six of their last ten games.
Toronto’s recent stretch has come despite constant lineup changes. Injuries have forced the Blue Jays to mix and match offensively, and one of the most notable disruptions has involved George Springer.
Springer had just returned from a fractured left big toe suffered on April 11, only to take another hit on that same foot during a game against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday. He exited that game and was held out of the series finale on Sunday, then remained out for Monday’s opener against Tampa Bay as the team monitored his condition.
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But on Tuesday, the Blue Jays announced that Springer was back in the starting lineup for the second game of the series against Tampa Bay, giving Toronto a needed boost at the top of the order.
His return couldn’t have come at a better time for the club. The Blue Jays are still dealing with injuries elsewhere in the lineup, including Addison Barger and Alejandro Kirk, making Springer’s presence even more important. His return is even more significant as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was not included in Tuesday’s lineup, with no reason immediately provided.
Though Springer is enduring a slow start this year, hitting .212 with 2 home runs and 7 RBIs in 18 games, he remains one of the team’s most reliable hitters.
Springer is coming off a 2025 season where he hit .309 with 32 home runs, 84 RBIs, 106 runs scored and a .399 on-base percentage during Toronto’s run to the World Series. He is also the most accomplished player on the roster, with four All-Star appearances, three Silver Slugger awards, and a World Series MVP.
After dropping Monday’s opener, Toronto will look to even its series against Tampa Bay Tuesday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET.
