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Blue Jays Gameday (April 12): Eloy Jimenez makes his debut as Toronto goes for the series win over the Twins
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Photo credit: © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Tyson Shushkewich
Apr 12, 2026, 12:20 EDT
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Another day, another injury to the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Jays will be without DH and veteran slugger George Springer for the foreseeable future, with the right-handed bat leaving yesterday’s game after fouling a ball off his foot. The tests came back with a left great toe fracture, and he’ll be out for at least 10 days on the IL.
Toronto called up Eloy Jimenez to take his spot in the lineup, and the right-handed bat is seeing some action today as the Jays face the Minnesota Twins in the series finale.
“Great camp obviously,” manager John Schneider told the Jays beat reporters before today’s game. “He’s physically in a place where he can do some great things that we saw him do a couple of years ago.”
On the mound, the Blue Jays are turning to right-hander Max Scherzer.
Scherzer is making his third start of the season and is coming off a shortened outing his last time out, where he went two innings before being pulled due to forearm tendonitis. The Jays don’t expect the injury to hold him back in today’s outing and expect a normal workload from the future Hall of Famer.
The veteran starter owns a 3.38 ERA and a 5.62 FIP through eight innings this season, striking out six batters compared to two walks. He’s allowed three earned runs and two home runs early this season, and boasts a 1.000 WHIP early in the campaign.
Opposite Scherzer today is right-hander Taj Bradley, who is off to a terrific start to begin the 2026 season.
Bradley has made three starts this campaign and has allowed just two earned runs off 14 hits, with the Twins starter pitching to a 1.08 ERA, 1.56 FIP, and a 1.080 WHIP out of the gate. This includes 22 strikeouts (11.9 K/9) and four walks, which sit at a 2.2 BB/9. Bradley has not allowed a home run this year.
The California product is dominating with his splitter this season, amassing a .111 BA and a 56.3% whiff rate while being used 21.6% of the time. He also owns a +3 pitching run value on his fastball, which sits in the upper 90s.
Lineup-wise, the Jays will be using Ernie Clement in the leadoff spot, and Kazuma Okamoto is back in the lineup after an off day yesterday. Nathan Lukes and Jesus Sanchez get the nods in the corner outfield spots while Davis Schneider gets the day off, and Brandon Valenzuela makes his third start in a row as Tyler Heineman battles back spasms.
Location: Rogers Centre – Toronto, Canada
First Pitch: 1:37 PM EST
Watch/Listen: Sportsnet / Sportsnet 590 The Fan

Starting Pitchers

Toronto Blue Jays – Max Scherzer: 1-1 record, 3.38 ERA, 8 IP, 6 SO, 2 BB
Minnesota Twins – Taj Bradley: 2-0 record, 1.08 ERA, 16 2/3 IP, 22 SO, 4 BB

Lineups:

Blue Jays:
  1. Ernie Clement – 2B
  2. Daulton Varsho – CF
  3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B
  4. Jesus Sanchez – LF
  5. Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
  6. Nathan Lukes – RF
  7. Eloy Jimenez – DH
  8. Andres Gimenez – SS
  9. Brandon Valenzuela – C
Twins:
  1. Kody Clemens – 1B
  2. Trevor Lanarch – LF
  3. Luke Keaschall – 2B
  4. Josh Bell – DH
  5. Matt Wallner – RF
  6. Victor Caratini – C
  7. Tristan Gray – 3B
  8. Brooks Lee – SS
  9. James Outman – CF

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