Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer is not in the Game 4 lineup Tuesday night, but the team does not seem likely to remove from their World Series roster after he exited Game 3 with a side injury Monday. Removing Springer from the roster would rule him out for the rest of the series. He could not be added back later.
“MRI showed that he’s hour-to-hour, day-to-day, so just see how he kind of navigates the next couple hours,” manager John Schneider said Tuesday before Game 4 (via Sportsnet). “… Right now the options are either in the lineup or on the bench.”
Bichette is in at DH instead and left fielder Nathan Lukes is hitting leadoff.
Springer suffered the injury during Monday’s marathon Game 3, which the Blue Jays eventually lost to the Dodgers 6-5 in 18 innings. In the seventh inning, Springer after fouling off a pitch immediately clutched his right side in obvious discomfort. Soon after he exited the game accompanied by a trainer and was replaced by Ty France:
The injury was initially announced as right side discomfort, and Schneider said postgame that Springer had already left to undergo an MRI. The team has not shared the results of the MRI. They seem to be hoping Springer will be able to play again at some point, even if not until Game 6 or 7 later this week.
“He plays for moments like this,” Schneider said Tuesday. “I think I told you guys yesterday, whenever this season’s over, you guys will be surprised to see kind of how much he has grinded physically. So yeah, if he’s good to go in any way, shape, or form, I want George in.”
Losing Springer, Toronto’s leadoff hitter and one of its most productive players in 2025, would be a serious one. During the regular season, the 36-year-old Springer reversed a pattern of decline and put up one of his best-ever seasons at the plate:
His OPS+ of 161 led the team and also ranked third among American League qualifiers. Springer is also one of the most prolific postseason power hitters in MLB history, as he ranks third all-time on the playoff home run list. During the Jays’ current run, he’s batted .246/.323/.561 with four home runs and six doubles in 14 games.
Outfielder Joey Loperfido would be the obvious replacement should Springer come off the roster. The 26-year-old Loperfido, who bats left-handed, is a career .248/.297/.392 hitter with eight home runs in 122 games spread across parts of two MLB seasons. He was rostered for part of the Blue Jays’ ALCS win over the Seattle Mariners as an injury replacement for Anthony Santander. Loperfido went hitless in one at-bat in that series.