If it feels like Andres Gimenez has been gone for a long time, it’s because he has. The Toronto Blue Jays‘ second baseman has been on the injured list for over a month now, his second stint away from the team this season. But after suffering a left ankle sprain, Gimenez started his rehab assignment with the Buffalo Bisons and should join the Blue Jays soon.

But with the offense firing on all cylinders lately, it’s not as though the Blue Jays have been missing the former platinum glover’s bat in the lineup. Outside of those three home runs on opening weekend, Gimenez’s bat went ice cold, and he owns a 78 wRC+ on the season.

As ineffective as Gimenez has been at the plate at times this season, the Blue Jays still need to work him into the lineup once he’s healthy. The 26-year-old could be back as early as the west coast road trip to Los Angeles against the Dodgers this weekend (one of Toronto’s biggest series of the month), but more realistically, Gimenez likely gets activated for the Cubs series at home next week.

And as more players return to the Blue Jays, it’s a similar dilemma for the front office and coaching staff as they’ve had in recent weeks, as lineup fixtures return to the fold; how do they fit all these guys into the picture? With so many contributors up and down the lineup this season, these roster decisions are becoming more and more difficult.

But here’s a look at some Blue Jays who might be on the outside looking in upon Gimenez’s return.

He’s the most recent addition to the Blue Jays’ 26-man roster, but the most likely to get the boot once Gimenez is activated. Buddy Kennedy had a cup of coffee with the Philadelphia Phillies earlier this year, and the Blue Jays picked him up after the Phils released him and he became a free agent on July 5th.

Once the Blue Jays learned Tyler Heineman wouldn’t need a 7-day stint on the IL after taking a foul tip to the helmet, Ali Sanchez was designated for assignment. That opened up the spot for Kennedy. His performance in triple-A hasn’t warranted a promotion, but the Blue Jays need some infield insurance.

Kennedy plays all over the infield, so maybe he gets playing time on this road trip for the Blue Jays outside of his one game against the Rockies, but he’s there as a backup to the backup behind Ernie Clement and Davis Schneider on the infield depth chart. However, Kennedy has the best name on the roster and sounds like he’d get name-dropped in a Bruce Springsteen song.

France was the most confusing acquisition by the Blue Jays at the trade deadline, and I’m still not sure he fits on this roster the rest of the season. The veteran infielder is there as a backup first baseman and designated hitter, but it feels like he might keep George Springer’s roster spot warm until Springer is cleared to return.

Overall, France is having an okay season, but he wasn’t quite the deadly right-handed player he’s been in the past. Maybe the Blue Jays think that David Popkins can work his magic and unlock some potential with France, but he might be an option for the Blue Jays to DFA once Gimenez is healthy.

Although he only signed with the Twins on a one-year/$1 million deal, that trade felt like a salary dump for the Twins. They avoided having to pay over $300,000 remaining on France’s salary and received Alan Roden and Kendry Rojas as part of the deal, which also included Louis Varland coming over to the Blue Jays.

If not once Gimenez returns to the Blue Jays, France could be the next one out when Springer is set to go again. Some explosive at-bats similar to yesterday’s Rockies game might change that narrative but for now, his spot is not secure.

Admittedly, the odds of this are very remote, but the next guy on the bubble in the event of an impending roster move to make way for Gimenez is Myles Straw. It’s still wild that he spent the entire 2024 season in the minors last year, yet has given the Blue Jays 1.0 WAR in 95 games this season.

That’s decent production for a bench guy, but there may be better ways to optimize his roster spot in the coming weeks. With Davis Schneider’s infield and outfield versatility, the Blue Jays could afford to take someone like Straw off the 26-man roster and not feel too exposed.

But again, there is a very low probability of Straw being taken off the roster, and he also doesn’t have any options left, either.

You can lump Schneider, Joey Loperfido and Nathan Lukes into the same group, whose job security is relatively secure. The fact that neither Schneider nor Loperfido was included in any trades says a lot when the Blue Jays opted to part with Alan Roden and Will Wagner instead.

While all three players have experienced their highs and lows this season, Schneider, Loperfido, and Lukes have each carved out their own roles on the roster and have become invaluable to the Blue Jays. If by some miracle Anthony Santander is back with the Blue Jays later this year, one of that trio may need to be sent down, but in the meantime, they’re all semi-regular contributors who needn’t worry about being demoted.