3 Blue Jays who won’t survive the roster crunch as injured stars return

The Toronto Blue Jays got some good news on the injury front as many of their key players could be on the verge to rejoining the team in the coming week or two. According to Blue Jays manager John Schneider on a recent episode of Blair and Barker on Sportsnet, Trey Yesavage and George Springer both appear to be the closest to returning, with Addison Barger and José Berríos not too far behind.

As surefire reinforcements for the injury-riddled Blue Jays, there is no question that they will be full-time regulars once they come off of the injured list and there are three Blue Jays who likely won't survive the roster crunch once those injured stars return.

Players returning from the IL will force the Blue Jays into these potentially tough roster decisions

Tommy Nance

With both Yesavage and Berríos likely to join the rotation once they return, one would expect at least one of the Blue Jays’ current starters will lose a roster spot as a consequence of the move. Of the Blue Jays’ starting five, the most likely candidates would be either Patrick Corbin and/or Eric Lauer.

However, Corbin has shown to be a solid viable option in the rotation during his brief tenure with the club, so he could be getting a longer leash, or at least until Berríos returns from the IL. As for Lauer, even with his current struggles, he is too valuable as a swingman for Toronto to just designate for assignment, so it is expected that he would be moved to the bullpen once the rotation starts becoming overcrowded.

As a result, a relief arm will likely be one of the first ones to go, and that honour unfortunately could fall on the shoulders of Tommy Nance. After a solid 2025 performance with the Blue Jays, Nance has struggled immensely to begin his 2026 campaign. In 10 appearances, the 35-year-old right hander has posted a dismal 7.20 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, giving up eight earned runs in just 10 innings of work, leading to one blown save and two losses.

One could argue that both Jeff Hoffman and Mason Fluharty are possible candidates as well given their own struggles to start the season. However, Hoffman will be given the opportunity to figure things out at the major league level in lower leverage situations while Fluharty has been one of the main lefty specialists out of the Toronto bullpen alongside Joe Mantiply. Therefore, Nance could be the odd man out once all is said and done.

Eloy Jiménez

As one of the Blue Jays’ sneaky signings this past offseason, Eloy Jiménez has filled in quite nicely for the injured Springer during the latter’s time on the injured list. Not only has Jiménez been a solid bat for the Blue Jays in the lineup, he has actually been one of their best hitters to date this season. In eight games of action, the 29-year-old veteran has batted an impressive .409 with an .871 OPS, along with two runs scored, three RBIs, three walks and just four strikeouts in 26 total plate appearances. Those numbers would typically guarantee a player a spot in the lineup for an extended period of time.

However, one of the limiting factors for Jiménez is the fact that due to a slew of injuries that he had previously endured, he has been limited to mainly duties as a designated hitter in recent years. Even if he does take the field, he had been a below-average fielder at best, with -14 Defensive Runs Saved and -19 Outs Above Average over his six years and counting in the majors. As a result, with Springer in line to return to his DH duties when he comes off the injured list, Jiménez could see his time with the Blue Jays come to an end despite his hitting prowess.

Davis Schneider

Finally, when Barger eventually makes his way back to the Toronto lineup, fan favourite Davis Schneider could be the surprising one to lose his spot. Just on peripheral numbers alone Schneider has struggled after a promising start to the 2026 season. In 18 games, the 27-year-old outfielder has compiled a .176 average, .657 OPS, with just two doubles, one home run and five RBIs in 42 total plate appearances. Although at the same time, he has provided some impact on the Blue Jays’ offensive run generation with 10 runs scored and eight walks.

But with Myles Straw putting together a solid offensive campaign to go along with his elite defense, and with the drastic turn around of Nathan Lukes in recent days, Schneider would appear to be the odd man out among reserve outfielders. Barring a long term injury to Lukes who was removed from Friday's game in the first inning.

As for the infield, Lenyn Sosa has seen an uptick in playing time since arriving in Toronto in the trade with the Chicago White Sox. In fact, the Blue Jays have been playing him even a bit more than Schneider over that period, as Sosa has produced a .278 average with four RBIs over seven games of action. Added to the fact that Schneider has minor league options remaining while Sosa is out of them, the former could end up being the unfortunate roster sacrifice once Barger is ready.

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