<p>The Toronto Blue Jays open up a three-game homestand against the Minnesota Twins Friday night and there&#8217;s a notable change in their lineup: Davis Schneider is batting leadoff.</p>
<p></p>
<p>While his .383 on-base percentage and 148 OPS+, tops on the Jays, are enough for him to be deserving of the spot, it comes on a day when George Springer is out with an illness. A more permanent change, skipper John Schneider said, is up in the air.</p>
<p>“I’m not ready to pull the plug on George,&#8221; he said, via <a href="https://twitter.com/KeeganMatheson/status/1789024629467869606" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>MLB.com&#8217;s</em></a> Keegan Matheson. &#8220;He’s still a huge part of our team. We’ll see how it goes tonight.”</p>
<p>Springer&#8217;s struggles this year are notable. His on-base percentage of .276 is second-worst on the club to only Bo Bichette, and the power from his bat has all but disappeared this season. While his 14 walks are third on the team, Schneider has only one less despite having 48 fewer plate appearances.</p>
<p>It will be interesting to see how the club navigates this if things work out well tonight. Bichette has already been dropped down the lineup, now batting fourth or later for his fourth consecutive game. While it&#8217;s understandable that John Schneider may not want to pull the plug on Springer, citing his importance to the team, he simply isn&#8217;t proving the requisite value needed at the top of the order.</p>
<hr />
<p><strong>First pitch:</strong></p>
<p>7:07 p.m. EST. TV &amp; Radio: Sportsnet.</p>
<h2><strong>Starting pitchers:</strong></h2>
<table style="width: 568px;">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="align-left  fixed " style="width: 101px;" data-col="0" data-col-id="Name" data-stat="Name">Name</th>
<th class="align-left  highlight-sort" style="width: 50px;" data-col="1" data-col-id="Team" data-stat="Team">Team</th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 27px;" data-col="2" data-col-id="GS" data-stat="GS">GS</p>
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div>
</th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 22px;" data-col="3" data-col-id="W" data-stat="W">W</p>
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div>
</th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 15px;" data-col="4" data-col-id="L" data-stat="L">L</p>
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div>
</th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 36px;" data-col="5" data-col-id="IP" data-stat="IP">IP</p>
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div>
</th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 41px;" data-col="6" data-col-id="ERA" data-stat="ERA">ERA</p>
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div>
</th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 50px;" data-col="7" data-col-id="xERA" data-stat="xERA">xERA</p>
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div>
</th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 47px;" data-col="8" data-col-id="ERA-" data-stat="ERA-">ERA-</p>
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div>
</th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 36px;" data-col="9" data-col-id="FIP" data-stat="FIP">FIP</p>
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div>
</th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 55px;" data-col="10" data-col-id="WHIP" data-stat="WHIP">WHIP</p>
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div>
</th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 42px;" data-col="11" data-col-id="K/9" data-stat="K/9">K/9</p>
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div>
</th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 46px;" data-col="12" data-col-id="BB/9" data-stat="BB/9">BB/9</p>
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div>
</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="is-selected__invalid">
<td class="align-left fixed" style="width: 101px;" data-col-id="Name" data-stat="Name">Yusei Kikuchi</td>
<td class="align-left  highlight-sort" style="width: 50px;" data-col-id="Team" data-stat="Team">TOR</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 27px;" data-col-id="GS" data-stat="GS">7</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 22px;" data-col-id="W" data-stat="W">2</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 15px;" data-col-id="L" data-stat="L">2</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 36px;" data-col-id="IP" data-stat="IP">39.2</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 41px;" data-col-id="ERA" data-stat="ERA">2.72</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 50px;" data-col-id="xERA" data-stat="xERA">2.95</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 47px;" data-col-id="ERA-" data-stat="ERA-">71</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 36px;" data-col-id="FIP" data-stat="FIP">2.33</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 55px;" data-col-id="WHIP" data-stat="WHIP">1.16</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 42px;" data-col-id="K/9" data-stat="K/9">9.76</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 46px;" data-col-id="BB/9" data-stat="BB/9">2.04</td>
</tr>
<tr class="is-selected__invalid">
<td class="align-left fixed" style="width: 101px;" data-col-id="Name" data-stat="Name">Joe Ryan</td>
<td class="align-left  highlight-sort" style="width: 50px;" data-col-id="Team" data-stat="Team">MIN</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 27px;" data-col-id="GS" data-stat="GS">7</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 22px;" data-col-id="W" data-stat="W">1</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 15px;" data-col-id="L" data-stat="L">2</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 36px;" data-col-id="IP" data-stat="IP">40.2</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 41px;" data-col-id="ERA" data-stat="ERA">3.54</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 50px;" data-col-id="xERA" data-stat="xERA">2.45</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 47px;" data-col-id="ERA-" data-stat="ERA-">92</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 36px;" data-col-id="FIP" data-stat="FIP">3.02</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 55px;" data-col-id="WHIP" data-stat="WHIP">1.01</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 42px;" data-col-id="K/9" data-stat="K/9">10.18</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 46px;" data-col-id="BB/9" data-stat="BB/9">1.33</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2>Lineups:</h2>
<hr />
<p><strong>BLUE JAYS:</strong></p>
<div class="starting-lineups__teams starting-lineups__teams--xs starting-lineups__teams--md starting-lineups__teams--lg">
<blockquote><p>D Schneider (R) LF<br />
D Varsho (L) CF<br />
V Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B<br />
J Turner (R) DH<br />
D Jansen (R) C<br />
B Bichette (R) SS<br />
C Biggio (L) RF<br />
I Kiner-Falefa (R) 2B<br />
E Clement (R) 3B</p></blockquote>
<hr />
</div>
<div class="starting-lineups__buttons starting-lineups__buttons--bottom">
<div class="p-button-group" role="group">
<div class="p-button p-button--regular starting-lineups__button"><strong>TWINS:</strong></div>
</div>
</div>
<blockquote><p>R Jeffers (R) DH<br />
C Correa (R) SS<br />
W Castro (S) CF<br />
J Miranda (R) 3B<br />
M Margot (R) RF<br />
C Santana (S) 1B<br />
K Farmer (R) 2B<br />
C Vázquez (R) C<br />
A Martin (R) LF</p></blockquote>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Need to bide the time until first pitch?</h2>
<p>Tune into the latest edition of Blue Jays Nation Radio as the crew talks about all the happenings in Toronto and beyond.</p>
<p><iframe title="Spotify Embed: Blue Jays Nation Radio" style="border-radius: 12px" width="100%" height="152" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/show/00f5Twxj4i9KG1WXzdOiG1?go=1&#038;amp%3Bsp_cid=b3195c716641dffe5ac518f4b2755cdc&#038;amp%3Butm_source=embed_player_p&#038;amp%3Butm_medium=desktop&#038;amp%3Bnd=1&#038;utm_source=oembed"></iframe></p>
<hr />
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at</span></i> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/zjlaing"><span style="font-weight: 400;">@zjlaing</span></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.</span></i></p>
<hr />

The Toronto Blue Jays open up a three-game homestand against the Minnesota Twins Friday night and there's a notable change in their lineup: Davis Schneider is batting leadoff.



While his .383 on-base percentage and 148 OPS+, tops on the Jays, are enough for him to be deserving of the spot, it comes on a day when George Springer is out with an illness. A more permanent change, skipper John Schneider said, is up in the air.

“I’m not ready to pull the plug on George," he said, via <a href="https://twitter.com/KeeganMatheson/status/1789024629467869606" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>MLB.com's</em></a> Keegan Matheson. "He’s still a huge part of our team. We’ll see how it goes tonight.”

Springer's struggles this year are notable. His on-base percentage of .276 is second-worst on the club to only Bo Bichette, and the power from his bat has all but disappeared this season. While his 14 walks are third on the team, Schneider has only one less despite having 48 fewer plate appearances.

It will be interesting to see how the club navigates this if things work out well tonight. Bichette has already been dropped down the lineup, now batting fourth or later for his fourth consecutive game. While it's understandable that John Schneider may not want to pull the plug on Springer, citing his importance to the team, he simply isn't proving the requisite value needed at the top of the order.

<hr />

<strong>First pitch:</strong>

7:07 p.m. EST. TV &amp; Radio: Sportsnet.
<h2><strong>Starting pitchers:</strong></h2>
<table style="width: 568px;">
<thead>
<tr>
<th class="align-left  fixed " style="width: 101px;" data-col="0" data-col-id="Name" data-stat="Name">Name</th>
<th class="align-left  highlight-sort" style="width: 50px;" data-col="1" data-col-id="Team" data-stat="Team">Team</th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 27px;" data-col="2" data-col-id="GS" data-stat="GS">GS
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div></th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 22px;" data-col="3" data-col-id="W" data-stat="W">W
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div></th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 15px;" data-col="4" data-col-id="L" data-stat="L">L
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div></th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 36px;" data-col="5" data-col-id="IP" data-stat="IP">IP
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div></th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 41px;" data-col="6" data-col-id="ERA" data-stat="ERA">ERA
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div></th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 50px;" data-col="7" data-col-id="xERA" data-stat="xERA">xERA
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div></th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 47px;" data-col="8" data-col-id="ERA-" data-stat="ERA-">ERA-
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div></th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 36px;" data-col="9" data-col-id="FIP" data-stat="FIP">FIP
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div></th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 55px;" data-col="10" data-col-id="WHIP" data-stat="WHIP">WHIP
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div></th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 42px;" data-col="11" data-col-id="K/9" data-stat="K/9">K/9
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div></th>
<th class="align-right " style="width: 46px;" data-col="12" data-col-id="BB/9" data-stat="BB/9">BB/9
<div class="th-tooltip undefined">
<div class="arrow-down"></div>
<div></div>
</div></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="is-selected__invalid">
<td class="align-left fixed" style="width: 101px;" data-col-id="Name" data-stat="Name">Yusei Kikuchi</td>
<td class="align-left  highlight-sort" style="width: 50px;" data-col-id="Team" data-stat="Team">TOR</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 27px;" data-col-id="GS" data-stat="GS">7</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 22px;" data-col-id="W" data-stat="W">2</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 15px;" data-col-id="L" data-stat="L">2</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 36px;" data-col-id="IP" data-stat="IP">39.2</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 41px;" data-col-id="ERA" data-stat="ERA">2.72</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 50px;" data-col-id="xERA" data-stat="xERA">2.95</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 47px;" data-col-id="ERA-" data-stat="ERA-">71</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 36px;" data-col-id="FIP" data-stat="FIP">2.33</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 55px;" data-col-id="WHIP" data-stat="WHIP">1.16</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 42px;" data-col-id="K/9" data-stat="K/9">9.76</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 46px;" data-col-id="BB/9" data-stat="BB/9">2.04</td>
</tr>
<tr class="is-selected__invalid">
<td class="align-left fixed" style="width: 101px;" data-col-id="Name" data-stat="Name">Joe Ryan</td>
<td class="align-left  highlight-sort" style="width: 50px;" data-col-id="Team" data-stat="Team">MIN</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 27px;" data-col-id="GS" data-stat="GS">7</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 22px;" data-col-id="W" data-stat="W">1</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 15px;" data-col-id="L" data-stat="L">2</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 36px;" data-col-id="IP" data-stat="IP">40.2</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 41px;" data-col-id="ERA" data-stat="ERA">3.54</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 50px;" data-col-id="xERA" data-stat="xERA">2.45</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 47px;" data-col-id="ERA-" data-stat="ERA-">92</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 36px;" data-col-id="FIP" data-stat="FIP">3.02</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 55px;" data-col-id="WHIP" data-stat="WHIP">1.01</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 42px;" data-col-id="K/9" data-stat="K/9">10.18</td>
<td class="align-right" style="width: 46px;" data-col-id="BB/9" data-stat="BB/9">1.33</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2>Lineups:</h2>

<hr />

<strong>BLUE JAYS:</strong>
<div class="starting-lineups__teams starting-lineups__teams--xs starting-lineups__teams--md starting-lineups__teams--lg">
<blockquote>D Schneider (R) LF
D Varsho (L) CF
V Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B
J Turner (R) DH
D Jansen (R) C
B Bichette (R) SS
C Biggio (L) RF
I Kiner-Falefa (R) 2B
E Clement (R) 3B</blockquote>

<hr />

</div>
<div class="starting-lineups__buttons starting-lineups__buttons--bottom">
<div class="p-button-group" role="group">
<div class="p-button p-button--regular starting-lineups__button"><strong>TWINS:</strong></div>
</div>
</div>
<blockquote>R Jeffers (R) DH
C Correa (R) SS
W Castro (S) CF
J Miranda (R) 3B
M Margot (R) RF
C Santana (S) 1B
K Farmer (R) 2B
C Vázquez (R) C
A Martin (R) LF</blockquote>

<hr />

<h2 style="text-align: left;">Need to bide the time until first pitch?</h2>
Tune into the latest edition of Blue Jays Nation Radio as the crew talks about all the happenings in Toronto and beyond.

https://open.spotify.com/show/00f5Twxj4i9KG1WXzdOiG1?go=1&amp;amp;sp_cid=b3195c716641dffe5ac518f4b2755cdc&amp;amp;utm_source=embed_player_p&amp;amp;utm_medium=desktop&amp;amp;nd=1

<hr />

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at</span></i> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/zjlaing"><span style="font-weight: 400;">@zjlaing</span></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.</span></i>

<hr />

GDB 38.0: Davis Schneider bats leadoff as Blue Jays open series against Minnesota

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