logo
Instant Reaction: Blue Jays lose 7-4 and lose George Springer in the process
alt
Photo credit: © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Aidan Sinclair
Apr 11, 2026, 17:45 EDTUpdated: Apr 11, 2026, 18:52 EDT
Comments
After bouncing back with a win Friday night via an offensive outburst, the Jays’ bats went mostly cold Saturday afternoon, losing their leadoff man in the process to yet another injury. It’s been a tale of illness and injury thus far for the Blue Jays in 2026, but let’s take a look at what transpired in the second of a three-game set with the Twins. 
Eric Lauer got the ball on Saturday, coming off his most recent outing against the White Sox, where his stuff was severely diminished due to illness. In the early goings of this contest, his velocity appeared to have returned to a norm, as he got through the first two innings unscathed. He was also given early run support as Daulton Varsho launched a two-run home run against Twins starter Joe Ryan, though this lead quickly vanished in the top of the third. 
It began with Brooks Lee, who, for the second consecutive day, took a Jays southpaw deep on a solo shot, cutting the Blue Jays’ deficit in half, 2-1. The following sequence of events saw incredible misfortune and a decline in Lauer’s swing and miss ability. Byron Buxton and Austin Martin both singled, Luke Keaschall walked, setting up Ryan Jeffers with the bases loaded. Lauer walked home a run, and proceeded to surrender a bloop single to Josh Bell that fell about five feet in front of Varsho’s reach in centre field, cashing in two more runs to give the Twins a 4-2 advantage. 
The bleeding continued in the third, with Trevor Larnach getting a rare start against a lefty, though his inclusion in the lineup paid dividends, as he launched a three-run home run, as part of a seven-run inning, giving the Twins a 7-2 lead. Lauer settled down after the third, not allowing a run from that point forward, providing the Jays 5.1 innings over 95 pitches and saving the bullpen for Sunday’s contest. 
Twins starter Joe Ryan was in control from the second inning forward, not giving up a run after the two-run shot to Varsho. He cruised through the seventh inning, allowing just one hit after the first inning, a single to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the fourth. The Jays simply could not figure out Ryan on Saturday, and he needed just 91 pitches to get through seven strong. 
Kody Funderburk worked a scoreless inning in the eighth before Cole Sands entered in the ninth, looking to secure a victory for the Twins. Guerrero led off the inning with a single, and Jesús Sánchez launched his second home run of the year to deep right field, cutting the Twins’ lead to 7-4. That was all she wrote for the Jays offensively, as they dropped the second game of a three-game set. 
Spencer Miles was the only reliever deployed out of the Blue Jays’ bullpen on Saturday, as he recorded 11 outs, surrendering just one hit in the process. Miles was quite effective, needing just 43 pitches to get through 3.2 innings, saving the rest of the bullpen for Sunday’s matchup. 
Aside from the score, the Jays experienced another critical loss, with yet another player suffering an injury. Alejandro Kirk, Addison Barger and Cody Ponce have all gone down with injuries within the first 14 games of the season, and George Springer joined them today. He was removed in the sixth inning with a broken left big toe, on a ball he fouled off himself earlier in the game. 
As big a loss as Springer’s absence is, the question now remains: Who will fill his void? The team has numerous options at triple-A Buffalo, with players such as Josh Kasevich, Eloy Jimenez, RJ Schreck, amd Yohendrick Piñango are all in the mix to join the team ahead of tomorrow’s contest.
Max Scherzer gets the ball, and the bullpen figures to play a huge role in the game, with Scherzer exiting his last start against the Dodgers after just two innings. The 41-year-old right-hander has been dealing with forearm tendinitis, and though he appears to be fully healthy, all hands will be on deck in case of yet another injury or short outing. Taj Bradley gets the ball for the Twins in the finale beginning tomorrow at 1:37 pm EST, as the Blue Jays look to hang on and win their second series of the 2026 season.

Featured

News

Breaking News