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

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 MLB.com’s 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.

7:07 p.m. EST. TV & Radio: Sportsnet.

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Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.