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Yohendrick Pinango Yohendrick Pinango Three hits from leadoff spot
Tue, May 5, 2026, 9:00 AM
Pinango went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Monday's loss to the Rays.
Analysis: Getting a second straight look in the leadoff spot against a right-hander pitcher, in this case Nick Martinez, Pinango produced his first career extra-base hit among his three knocks. The 23-year-old rookie has come flying off the gates since his promotion from Triple-A Buffalo, going 9-for-18 in his first seven big-league games, and he could continue to fill a strong-side platoon role as long as he's raking. The Toronto outfield/DH picture is about to get a lot more crowded, however, with George Springer (toe) expected back in the starting nine Tuesday and Addison Barger (ankles) set to come off the IL by this weekend. |
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George Springer George Springer On track for Tuesday return
Mon, May 4, 2026, 8:40 PM
Springer (foot) is expected to be back in the starting lineup Tuesday against Tampa Bay, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Bannon mentions that Springer was spotted in the on-deck circle at one point during Monday's matchup for a potential pinch-hit situation, but he was ultimately pulled back to allow Brandon Valenzuela to hit. Springer has been held out of the lineup for two straight games after being struck by a pitch on his left foot Saturday, but he managed to avoid a significant injury and should be back in action for the second game of the series. |
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Addison Barger Addison Barger Expected back this week
Mon, May 4, 2026, 4:11 PM
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Monday that Barger (ankles) being activated from the 10-day injured list on Friday would be a "worst-case scenario,"Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Barger slugged a home run in his first rehab game with Single-A Dunedin on Sunday and will suit up for the affiliate once again Tuesday. He could rejoin the Blue Jays after that and be activated as soon as Wednesday, but a return Friday for the start of a homestand seems likelier. Barger has been sidelined since early April after spraining both of his ankles. |
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George Springer George Springer Held out again Monday
Mon, May 4, 2026, 2:22 PM
Springer (foot) remains out of the lineup for Monday's game in Tampa Bay.
Analysis: Springer had to depart Saturday's contest versus the Twins after being hit in the left foot by a pitch, and he will now miss a second straight start. He is considered day-to-day but is available to pinch-hit Monday, per Brian Murphy of MLB.com. Daulton Varsho is filling in at designated hitter Monday, and Yohendrick Pinango will get another look in the leadoff spot. |
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Jesus Sanchez Jesus Sanchez Three hits in Sunday's win
Mon, May 4, 2026, 9:40 AM
Sanchez went 3-for-5 in Sunday's win over the Twins.
Analysis: All three hits were singles and none of them led directly to any run production, but it was still Sanchez's first multi-hit performance since April 14. The 28-year-old outfielder has delivered his usual numbers through his first 33 games as a Blue Jay, slashing .250/.289/.404 with four homers, a steal, 11 runs and 15 RBI, but there are signs he could find another level over the summer -- his 93.2 mph average exit velocity and 11.3 degree launch angle are both career bests, as is his 17.5 percent strikeout rate. |
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Jose Berrios Jose Berrios Roughed up in fourth rehab start
Mon, May 4, 2026, 8:21 AM
Berrios (elbow) surrendered seven earned runs on six hits and four walks while striking out one batter across 3.2 innings in his rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Buffalo.
Analysis: Berrios tossed exactly 70 pitches for the second straight rehab appearance, but he lacked both command and control once again. After beginning his rehab assignment with a pair of starts in the Florida State League, Berrios has posted a 14.09 ERA, 2.22 WHIP and 3:6 K:BB while serving up five home runs over 7.2 innings since shifting to Triple-A. At this point, Berrios looked to be fully stretched out for a starting role, but his poor results in his last two outings with Buffalo don't offer much confidence that he would represent an upgrade over Eric Lauer at the back end of the rotation. The Blue Jays may wait and see how Lauer fares during his upcoming start Monday at Tampa Bay before determining Berrios's next steps. |
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Addison Barger Addison Barger Homers in first rehab game
Mon, May 4, 2026, 2:28 AM
Barger (ankles) went 1-for-2 with a walk and a two-run home run while serving as the designated hitter in his first rehab game with Single-A Dunedin on Sunday.
Analysis: The Blue Jays have not revealed their plans for Barger's rehab assignment, but Keegan Matheson of MLB.com suggests the likely plan is for Barger to fly north with the major-league club from Tampa on Wednesday night after he plays in a couple more games with Dunedin. Further, Matheson says Barger should be expected to slide right back into five starts per week for Toronto upon his return from the IL, despite the 26-year-old's 1-for-19 start before the injury. |
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Moves up to Double-A
Sun, May 3, 2026, 4:59 PM
The Blue Jays promoted Nimmala from High-A Vancouver to Double-A New Hampshire on Sunday.
Analysis: Nimmala will make the jump to Double-A after submitting a .241/.362/.483 slash line with four home runs and two stolen bases over 105 plate appearances for Vancouver to begin the season. Not set to turn 21 years old until October, Nimmala will be one of the youngest players in the Eastern League, so if he can produce at even a league-average level for New Hampshire, it would bode well for his chances of emerging as the everyday shortstop for Toronto at some point in 2027. |
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Eric Lauer Eric Lauer Starting Monday
Sun, May 3, 2026, 4:17 PM
Lauer is scheduled to start Monday's game against the Rays, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: The veteran left-hander is getting another turn through the rotation with Jose Berrios (elbow) making a fourth minor-league rehab start. Lauer surrendered seven runs to the Twins on April 11 but has otherwise been a more respectable fill-in starter with a 4.57 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 17:8 K:BB in his other five outings. |
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Kazuma Okamoto Kazuma Okamoto Homers in third straight game
Sun, May 3, 2026, 3:39 PM
Okamoto went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Twins.
Analysis: Okamoto made things interesting in the ninth inning with his two-run blast off Justin Topa, cutting the Blue Jays' deficit to one. Okamoto has been on a tear at the plate, hitting four homers in his last three games. He's boosted his slash line to .236/.319/.472 through 138 plate appearances with nine home runs and 22 RBI this season. |
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Tyler Heineman Tyler Heineman Exits early in 'manager's decision'
Sun, May 3, 2026, 3:38 PM
Heineman relayed after Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Twins that he was removed from the game in the sixth inning in a "manager's decision" rather than due to any sort of physical issue, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: After taking an at-bat with the bases loaded in the top half of the sixth, Heineman was lifted from the game in the bottom of the frame in a move that seemed to signal that the veteran backstop was dealing with an injury. Instead, manager John Schneider said that he opted to pull Heineman from the game due to the poor at-bat, which ended with a weak flyout after the 34-year-old swung at a first-pitch breaking ball. Heineman had already begun to lose out on playing time to Brandon Valenzuela, and his 0-for-3 showing prior to exiting Sunday's game won't help Heineman's case for regaining work. |
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Trey Yesavage Trey Yesavage Falls to Minnesota
Sun, May 3, 2026, 3:21 PM
Yesavage (1-1) took the loss Sunday against the Twins, allowing a run on five hits and three walks over four innings. He struck out six.
Analysis: It wasn't a bad outing overall for Yesavage, as he held the Twins to a lone run on a two-out single in the opening frame, though he managed to make it through only four innings, throwing 82 pitches. In two starts since returning from the IL, the 22-year-old Yesavage has given up just one run on nine hits while striking out nine over 9.1 innings. Yesavage is tentatively lined up to face the Angels at home his next time out. |
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Tyler Heineman Tyler Heineman Lifted with apparent injury
Sun, May 3, 2026, 2:19 PM
Heineman went 0-for-3 before being removed from Sunday's game against the Twins in the bottom of the sixth due to an apparent injury, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: The Blue Jays haven't confirmed that Heineman is hurt, but the fact that he batted with the bases loaded in the top of the frame before being replaced by Brandon Valenzuela behind the dish in the bottom of the inning indicates that Heineman is likely dealing with a physical concern. Heineman and Valenzuela have been splitting time at catcher since Alejandro Kirk (thumb) landed on the injured list April 4. |
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Brandon Valenzuela Brandon Valenzuela Idle Sunday
Sun, May 3, 2026, 9:54 AM
Valenzuela is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: Tyler Heineman will draw the start Sunday, but Valenzuela may have overtaken him as the Blue Jays' preferred option at catcher while Alejandro Kirk (thumb) remains on the injured list. Valenzuela started three of the previous four games and owns a .680 OPS on the season, clearing Heineman's mark (.423) by more than 250 points. |
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George Springer George Springer Taking seat for series finale
Sun, May 3, 2026, 9:43 AM
Springer (foot) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: Springer was forced out of Saturday's 11-4 win in the third inning after being hit by a pitch in the left foot, right near the same spot of the big toe that he previously fractured April 11. Fortunately for Springer, X-rays revealed no new damage to his foot, but the veteran will need at least one day off while he's presumably still dealing with some soreness. With Springer on the bench for the series finale in Minnesota, Yohendrick Pinango will get a look in the leadoff spot. |
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Lenyn Sosa Lenyn Sosa Belts first long ball as Blue Jay
Sat, May 2, 2026, 5:30 PM
Sosa went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, an additional run and an additional RBI on Saturday against the Twins in an 11-4 victory.
Analysis: Sosa kicked off the scoring for Toronto with a 415-foot solo shot in the second inning. He added another RBI on an infield single in the eighth. The long ball was Sosa's first of the season in his 24th game after he went deep 22 times across 140 contests with the White Sox last year. Overall, he's slashing a modest .257/.254/.386 and has yet to take a walk over 72 plate appearances on the campaign, but he may be heating up after going 5-for-9 across his past two games. |
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Brandon Valenzuela Brandon Valenzuela Knocks third homer
Sat, May 2, 2026, 5:23 PM
Valenzuela went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk Saturday in an 11-4 victory versus Minnesota.
Analysis: Valenzuela had the biggest hit in an eight-run eighth inning for Toronto, mashing a three-run homer to center field. Saturday marked the rookie backstop's third start behind the plate over the Blue Jays' past four games, and he's gone 4-for-9 with two home runs and four RBI during that span. Valenzuela seems to be building momentum over Tyler Heineman as Toronto's primary catcher wile Alejandro Kirk (thumb) remains sidelined. |
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Kazuma Okamoto Kazuma Okamoto Goes deep again Saturday
Sat, May 2, 2026, 5:17 PM
Okamoto went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, two total runs and two total RBI in an 11-4 victory versus the Twins on Saturday.
Analysis: Okamoto brought Toronto to within a run with a huge 453-foot solo shot to center field in the sixth inning. He then kicked off the scoring in the Blue Jays' eight-run eighth frame with an RBI single. Okamoto went deep twice Friday, so he now has three homers over his past two games. On the season, he's slashing 235/.316/.454 with eight long balls, 17 runs and 20 RBI through 133 plate appearances. |
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Dylan Cease Dylan Cease Fans seven in victory
Sat, May 2, 2026, 4:39 PM
Cease (2-1) earned the win over Minnesota on Saturday, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out seven batters over seven innings.
Analysis: Cease had a bit of a rough beginning to his outing, serving up a leadoff homer to Byron Buxton in the bottom of the first inning and giving up two more runs (one of which was unearned) in the second. He settled down from there but still trailed 4-3 following his seventh and final frame. However, Toronto's offense came through for the right-hander, putting up eight runs in the top of the eighth to line him up for the victory. Cease struck out seven and racked up 16 whiffs, and he's second overall in the majors this season with 56 punchouts over 38.1 frames. He's been an impactful starter for fantasy managers, complementing his big strikeout total with a 3.05 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. |
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George Springer George Springer No new damage in foot
Sat, May 2, 2026, 4:30 PM
X-rays on Springer's left foot revealed no new damage following his removal from Saturday's game against the Twins, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: Springer is still dealing with the fracture in his big toe that he initially suffered in mid-April, but he plans to play through it. Manager John Schneider said that Springer will sit out Sunday's series finale, as was the plan coming into Saturday's contest, which will give the veteran outfielder an extra day to recover and potentially return to the starting lineup for Monday's series opener in Tampa. |
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