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Blue Jays: Who goes when George Springer returns?
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Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Ben Wrixon
Apr 24, 2026, 09:13 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays are about to get some much-needed reinforcements with George Springer nearing a return from the injured list with a fractured toe. 
Springer’s importance cannot be overstated. He’s a top-level hitter and one of the team’s emotional tone-setters. The Blue Jays front office won’t hesitate to send someone down to Triple-A when it’s time to activate him—but which player will that be? 
There isn’t an obvious choice right now as the Blue Jays have been getting solid contributions from all their bench players lately, and thankfully, nobody else appears as if they need to go on the injured list. 
Nathan Lukes looked like a candidate to get sent down to Buffalo about a week ago, before getting diagnosed and subsequently treated for vertigo. He’s not going anywhere now that he’s back to being himself, which is great news for him and the Blue Jays. 
Davis Schneider could get sent down. He has two minor-league options and has struggled to a .657 OPS (84 OPS+) on the season. Still, his at-bats have been better than the results so far. He’s one of the few hitters on the team who works pitchers for walks. It would be surprising if he’s ultimately the one who is cast away to reactivate Springer.
The decision is likely to come down to either Eloy Jiménez or Lenyn Sosa, both of whom would need to be designated for assignment before they could be sent down. They’d have to pass through waivers unclaimed before arriving in Buffalo, and Jiménez can reject the assignment because he has more than three years of service time in the big leagues (Sosa does not). 
Jiménez has hit well since being called up when Springer initially landed on the IL. He’s slashing .409/.462/.409 with three RBIs, having also drawn three walks compared to just four strikeouts. He’s picked up right where he left off during spring training.
Sosa, meanwhile, has been a worthwhile member of the team since being acquired in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. He’s driven in four runs, including two on a clutch double during a late rally in Tuesday night’s 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels. He also hit 22 home runs just last year. 
Jiménez has been the better hitter thus far, but could draw the shortest straw due to positional overlap—or lack thereof. He has mostly served as the designated hitter due to his defensive limitations. Unfortunately for him, DH is Springer’s full-time spot when he’s healthy, let alone when he’s playing with a fractured toe that’s barely healed. There’s no chance Springer gets sent back to the outfield for regular reps, so Jiménez would be relegated to pinch-hit duties moving forward. 
Sosa isn’t a great defender either, but he can play multiple positions around the infield. The Blue Jays have already given a few starts at second base. He has a clearer pathway to playing time than Jiménez, even if his offensive upside is lower. 
Still, the need to DFA either Jiménez or Sosa could ultimately push things back in Schneider’s direction if the front office wants to keep the other two in the organization. Jiménez would garner interest as a bench piece for a contending team or a potential trade chip at the deadline for an expected seller. The Blue Jays liked Sosa enough to trade for him, so he would probably get snatched up on waivers, too. 
There’s no easy answer here as Schneider, Jiménez, and Sosa are all solid players. No matter who the Blue Jays choose, they will still be better positioned to keep building momentum with Springer back. 

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