Blue Jays: What the lineup could look like without Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Hopefully Lourdes Gurriel Jr. will be back on the field sooner than later, but what kind of lineups could the Blue Jays use while he’s on the sidelines?

Depending on the update that we get here on Friday it’s possible that the Blue Jays could be without their 28-year-old outfielder for at least the next few days or potentially much longer than that. He was injured on Wednesday night against the Orioles when he tumbled over first base while trying to beat out a ground ball, and it sounds like it’s a hamstring issue for the 2021 Gold Glove finalist.

Although the timing is far from ideal as they pursue a playoff spot, the Blue Jays will likely have to give him a few days off even if it was just a tweak to the muscle. Regardless, John Schneider is going to have to make some alternative lineup plans without his regular left fielder, and fortunately the Jays have a few different outfielders on their roster.

Before I get into who I think the real candidates for increased playing time might be, I’ll say right away that I don’t think there will be a major increase in playing time for Jackie Bradley Jr., and especially not for Bradley Zimmer. Both players are likely looking at more of a late-inning defensive replacement job, which could be even more important in Gurriel Jr’s absence.

So what is John Schneider looking at for options, and how will that impact the lineup overall? The Jays are going to work DH days in for guys George Springer, Alejandro Kirk and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. regardless, but they might have to be a little more creative going forward.

Option #1- The first place I would start

As I said earlier, thankfully the Blue Jays have some outfield depth and that is even more important in light of the shaky health that George Springer has experienced again in 2022. For now the Jays are fortunate that Springer is able to play in the outfield as well as serving as the DH, so for most of the lineup configurations I’m going with I’ll be looking at him as a two-way player.

Regardless of what happens with Springer, I hope we see more of an opportunity for regular playing time for Whit Merrifield. It seems like the former Kansas City Royal was acquired in part to serve as an insurance policy in case Springer had to spend more time on the Injured List, but thankfully he’s not needed to cover centre field in that kind of capacity.

I’ll admit that it’s been a rocky year for the 33 year old, and things haven’t gone all that well since he became a Blue Jay as he’s slashed just .188/.246/.234 over his first 69 plate appearances with his new club, but his playing time has been fairly sporadic as well. Not that I’m making excuses for him by any means, but a more regular opportunity might help the veteran find a groove.

With the ability to play in the outfield, Merrifield could serve in a corner spot on a regular basis, and the lineup could look something like this:

1- Springer (CF)
2- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B)
3- Bo Bichette (SS)
4- Teoscar Hernandez (LF)
5- Alejandro Kirk (DH)
6- Cavan Biggio (2B)
7- Matt Chapman (3B)
8- Danny Jansen (C)
9- Merrifield (RF)

As the number nine hitter, Merrifield could act as a second leadoff hitter of sorts, which is a role that he’s more than familiar with from his days in Kansas City. That kind of lower lineup depth can win or lose games, especially when things get tighter down the stretch, and that’s even more important when you’re dealing with injuries to any regulars.

It’s not an ideal solution, but neither is losing Gurriel Jr. for any length of time. It might be a moving target, but the first place I would start is pencilling Merrifield’s name on the lineup card as a regular outfielder.

Option #3- Thinking a bit outside the box

The most sensible option to fill any Gurriel Jr. absence would be to slide another experienced outfielder into his place, and the Blue Jays have a few of them. However, I’d argue that maybe some outside the box thinking would be worth exploring.

It’s not exactly a radical idea to use Cavan Biggio as an outfielder, a position he’s played as recently as this year, but lately he hasn’t spent much time out there. That said, I think there’s an argument that the Blue Jays’ best lineup without Gurriel Jr. might have Biggio in an outfield corner. Here’s what that would look like:

1- Springer (CF)
2- Vlad Jr. (1B)
3- Bichette (SS)
4- Hernandez (RF)
5- Kirk (C)
6- Biggio (LF)
7- Chapman (3B)
8- Jansen (C)
9- Santiago Espinal (2B)

This configuration adds Espinal to the picture, which is something that’s going to happen on a semi-regular basis either way. The infield defence is stronger for Espinal’s presence as well, which is no small factor either.

While Biggio is a capable outfielder, he has a pretty weak throwing arm from the position, especially compared to guys like Gurriel Jr. and Hernandez. I would be surprised if Biggio ever became a full-time outfielder, but as a short-term replacement to cover for an injury, such as the one we may be looking at for Gurriel Jr., he’s a more than solid option.

After I’ve said all of that, I’m still hoping that Gurriel Jr. bounces back quickly and makes this whole discussion pretty pointless. Hopefully that’ll be the case, but in the meantime I’m sure the Blue Jays coaching staff are reviewing their options and making all kinds of plans.