Who’s on the Blue Jays chopping block when Springer returns?

On Thursday, the Toronto Blue Jays received great news with regards to star outfielder George Springer as he was finally cleared to resume baseball activities and participated in a live game with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons that very evening. After a strong showing in his rehab game, Blue Jays manager John Schneider suggested that if all goes well, Springer could be back in action with the Blue Jays as early as Saturday, as per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.

That is definitely great news for Toronto and their fans, but maybe not so great for the player on the roster, as that will mean a roster casualty upon Springer’s return. So who will be on the chopping block as a result? The decision for Jays management won’t be easy because practically every player has been making significant contributions to the team while Springer was hurt. Nevertheless, someone will need to go to make the roster work, so let’s take a look at the potential candidates.

Who’s on the Blue Jays chopping block when Springer returns?

Myles Straw

Myles Straw has been “Mr. do-it-all” for Toronto this season. Whether it be working a tough at-bat for a walk, bunting a runner over to scoring position, coming through with the big hit, or making a dazzling play in the field, Straw has played a been a big role contributing to the Blue Jays offense.

As the surprising reward for the Blue Jays in their move for more international bonus pool space this past offseason, Straw is a perfect bench piece for the team down the stretch. With no minor league options remaining, it should be a no-brainer that Straw should not be touched.

Joey Loperfido

After spending much of the first half of the season in Triple-A Buffalo, Joey Loperfido has sure made the most of his chances since being called up in early July. In 29 games, Loperfido has compiled a stellar .363 average, .919 OPS, along with 10 runs scored, three home runs and 10 RBIs while committing zero errors in the outfield so far.

For a Jays team always looking for a power bat to boost their offensive potential, he has been doing exactly that. As an added bonus, Loperfido bats left-handed, giving Toronto some strength from the left side of the plate. So it would be foolish to remove one of the best hitters currently with the club.

Ty France

Although Ty France isn’t an outfielder, the Jays have often deployed him as a designated hitter since acquiring him from a trade with the Minnesota Twins. So why is that important? It just so happens the Blue Jays have used Springer often in the DH role in 2025 as well to give him appropriate rest in the field. As a result, his return could bump France from a main role with the team going forward.

However, France has held his own with his bat since arriving in Toronto. Amassing a .343 average, .896 OPS and six runs scored in just 11 contests, it just wouldn’t make sense to designate for assignment a key piece acquired from the deadline, not to mention one that has actually been doing well.

Nathan Lukes

For Nathan Lukes, he has been deployed effectively as the Jays leadoff hitter for the most part in recent weeks and had done a great job at it. He may not be hitting for too high of an average, but he has put up an .837 OPS along with 14 runs scored, five home runs and 15 RBIs in his last 20 games while playing exceptional defense.

With that strong combination of offense and defense, and the fact that Lukes had shown this type of consistency since last season, it’s hard to move someone that’s quietly doing their job effectively. However, he does have one minor league option remaining. So worst comes to worst, the Jays may consider that to keep him in the organization and then bring him back up as a September call-up. They just have to survive without his services for about two weeks.

Davis Schneider 

After struggling with the Jays to start the year and then spending some time in the minors to work on his game, Davis Schneider had been a much more steady contributor since his return to the big league club. Since the beginning of July, Schneider has hit a solid .264 with a .917 OPS, together with 13 runs scored, six home runs and 16 RBIs in just 72 at-bats across 28 total games.

More importantly, his ability to play both in the outfield and infield gives the Jays tremendous flexibility when setting their lineup everyday. However, of all of the players in this list, Schneider has the most minor league options remaining. So just that factor on its own, Toronto could utilize that to ensure that he is not lost to another team while having the ability to bring him back in September, just like Lukes above.

As a result, every single player on this list has done enough to warrant keeping their spot on the Jays current roster. Nevertheless, Toronto will need to make the tough decision soon as Springer appears to be all but ready to rejoin the club any time now.