It’s been a season full of pleasant surprises from the Toronto Blue Jays, and I’ll be the first to admit that I wouldn’t have predicted an AL East lead at this time of the year. I was optimistic that the Jays would be competitive in 2025, and maybe even a playoff team, but they’ve far exceeded my expectations, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

What’s arguably been the most encouraging development has been the sheer depth of the lineup, as John Schneider has been getting above-average contributions nearly across the board from his players. The coaching staff has done a great job of setting their guys up for success by creating lineups based on favourable matchups and utilizing that depth, and it’s allowed several of the hitters to thrive.

When I reflect on my feelings at the start of the 2025 season, I was concerned that this team was at least a bat short of being able to truly compete. I also felt that way despite thinking that Anthony Santander’s 30-40 home run potential would be a welcome addition to the roster, and he’s provided just six long balls across 50 games before hitting the IL and spending most of his season there. However, it looks like the switch-hitting slugger is getting close to an MLB return, giving Schneider’s coaching staff yet another weapon to work into the fold. Any time you can add a hitter with that kind of power potential, it’s a good thing, but the question is- which player(s) are going to lose playing time as a result?

I honestly think the real answer is that those lost ABs will be spread around, and Schneider will continue to try and utilize his entire roster. However, there will be a few players in particular that could see a bit more of the bench as a result of Santander’s potential return, and their performance(s) down the stretch will probably be the biggest factor. That said, which players might see their playing time suffer a bit?

Lukes has provided some excellent under-the-radar production for the Blue Jays in 2025, even finding himself hitting in the top three with some regularity lately. However, if Santander is going to work his way back into the lineup, then it’ll come at the expense of either an outfield spot or at designated hitter, which would slide George Springer into a regular starting position in the outfield anyway. Let’s call it four spots for the three outfield positions and DH to keep things simple.

Varsho and Springer are going to play pretty much every day, with the occasional day off for Varsho against a tough lefty, and Myles Straw probably platoons in centre field anyway. That leaves two spots between Santander, Lukes, Addison Barger, Davis Schneider, and maybe Joey Loperfido, if he doesn’t get sent to Buffalo to make room for Santander. Schneider probably mostly factors in against lefties, and Barger can also play third base as well, but there are several viable options here, and only so many at-bats to go around.

Speaking of Barger, let’s take a look at his situation next. The 26-year-old has made 76 appearances at the hot corner and 56 in the outfield. With Santander re-entering the depth chart picture in the outfield, the easy answer might be to have Barger spend more time at third base. However, the infield depth chart is pretty full these days as well, especially if/when Bo Bichette can return from the IL.

Assuming Bichette is part of the playoff roster, he’ll be the starting shortstop, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will play first base. Andres Gimenez probably starts regularly, at least against righties, and Ernie Clement has quietly put up a 3.4 bWAR season, so there’s a strong argument that he should be on the lineup card pretty consistently. The Blue Jays could run a couple of platoons with Gimenez/Barger against righties, and Schneider/Clement against southpaws, but I doubt it ends up being that simple. There’s also Isiah Kiner-Falefa to consider as well, although it’s hard to see him starting much if the rest of the group is healthy.

I guess that a potential Santander return will have a more direct impact on Lukes and Barger, but it could indirectly land Clement on the bench a little more as well, and this one is pretty simple.

As I’ve already mentioned, Barger could spend more time at third base with the outfield getting crowded, which could reduce Clement’s opportunities against righties. He can play anywhere on the infield, but with Bichette, Guerrero, and Gimenez likely being locked in then that leaves just third base and a battle with Barger.

IKF was basically brought in as injury insurance and luxury depth on the bench, and so far, it’s been a worthwhile move. If Bichette and Santander can both rejoin the roster before the season’s end, then my guess is Kiner-Falefa wouldn’t play much, if at all. He probably still makes a playoff roster thanks to his versatility, but it could come down to matchups as well.

The last player I wanted to mention was Santander himself, because let’s face it, there are no guarantees that he just gets to take up a full-time starting spot once he’s activated. As of this writing, the Blue Jays have the best record in the American League, and they’ve mostly done it without their biggest addition to the lineup from last winter’s free agency. Other players like Lukes, Barger, Clement, and more have picked up the slack, and it would be hard to take them out of the lineup right now.

On top of that, there’s no telling how long it’ll take Santander to get up to speed. He hasn’t played in an MLB game since May 29th, and it’s possible, if not even likely, that he’ll struggle to get to the level of the rest of the league, especially when they’re playing the top tier of teams in the playoffs. Rhythm and timing are important for any hitter, and with just 14 games left, there might not be enough time for the Venezuelan slugger to find his groove. If that’s the case, he can still provide value off the bench as a pinch hitter and a viable option for matchups that suit him well.

At the end of the day, I really do think that Schneider will dole out the playing time based on who is playing well and what matchups make the most sense. Unless Santander comes back and lights the world on fire, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him getting selective opportunities as well, especially with how important the rest of the depth chart has been to the team’s success in 2025.

It’s a good problem to have when there are too many strong options for the lineup, but for that reason, John Schneider and his staff are going to have some tough decisions to make over the coming weeks.

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