3 Blue Jays who need to step up if Anthony Santander goes on the injured list

On Wednesday, the Toronto Blue Jays put together their most complete performance of the season in a dominant 14-0 win over the San Diego Padres. 

It was also a performance that came without one of the biggest bats in the lineup. After going 1-for-3 with a single, Anthony Santander was pulled from the lineup once again thanks to a hip injury that’s been bothering him. 

While the teams should have more information on the injury soon, it’s clear that the slugger has been hampered by injury for quite some time now.

He sat out multiple games last week due to shoulder and hip injuries, with the latter being the reason for him leaving Wednesday’s game early. 

With an injured list stint looking more and more likely for the slugger, here’s three Blue Jays who would need to step up in his place.

3 Blue Jays who need to step up if Anthony Santander goes on the injured list

Nathan Lukes

Lukes got a head start on his case for earning more playing time in a Santander-less world on Wednesday when he smashed a two-run home run to break a scoreless tie in the fourth inning. 

The 30-year-old Lukes has had a bit of an up and down season. After hitting .167 across his first 13 games of the year, he hit .311 with three home runs in a 19 game span from the middle of April to the middle of May. 

And then he was mired in a brief 0-for-9 slump before going 3-for-4 with his home run on Wednesday.

After only hitting one home run in his first two stints in the majors, Lukes has been mashing the ball since returning from the paternity list, and has already seemed due for more play time.

If Santander does end up going on the injured list, then Lukes should get the brunt of the at-bats left behind.

George Springer 

This year has been a renaissance for Springer, and that shouldn’t stop even if Santander’s out of the lineup.

Springer’s spent the entire year splitting designated hitter and right field with Santander, and that timeshare should continue, regardless of who the second option is (though it should be Lukes). 

Springer’s already mashed five home runs this year, and his OPS+ of 136 is his highest-mark since his first season in Toronto in 2021. While those numbers took a bit of a hit thanks to the 1-for-21 skid he went through last week, he’s still giving the team strong at-bats and is coming off a two-hit game on Wednesday. 

The Blue Jays have found the perfect role for Springer since they moved him from the leadoff spot, and there’s no need for them to mess with a good thing by moving him away from that.

Joey Loperfido

The Blue Jays would need to fill Santander’s roster spot somehow, and Loperfido seems like the logical option to do so. 

He has a 105 wRC+ in Triple-A (.260 batting average) and has hit five home runs. The Blue Jays traded for him at last year’s deadline but haven’t had a chance to give him a good look thanks to the number of MLB-quality outfielders on the roster, but this would give them a great avenue to do so. 

None of the other options in Triple-A are lighting the world on fire, and they wouldn’t need to worry about relying on Loperfido everyday thanks to strong play from Springer, Lukes and Daulton Varsho. 

Lukes could slide over to an everyday spot at right field/designated hitter, and Loperfido could split time with Myles Straw in left field. Yes, there’d be a lot of moving parts, but it would be worth it to see what Loperfido has.