Blue Jays Place George Springer on Injured List
The Blue Jays placed George Springer on the injured list with elbow inflammation ahead of Saturday’s game against the Twins.
The outfielder has been battling elbow discomfort in recent weeks, and will now spend at least 10 days on the IL, retroactive to August 5. Otto Lopez was called up in place of Springer on the 26-man roster.
This will be Springer's first trip to the injured list in 2022, after spending three separate stints on the IL in 2021. He's played in 89 of Toronto's 106 games so far this year, but started just two of the last six games, slotting in designated hitter both times.
When talking to the media after the trade deadline, Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins said the team wasn’t “overly concerned” with Springer’s elbow, but would have to manage it.
"We just want to make sure that he's not pushing too hard and he's honest with himself," Atkins said. "George is an exceptionally driven individual and has a very high pain tolerance. So just making sure that you know, we're not pushing too hard and he's not pushing too hard."
The newly acquired Whit Merrifield has started the last two games in center field for the Blue Jays, and will once again be in CF on Saturday against the Twins. With utility man Lopez joining the roster, the Jays could rotate Merrifield, Lopez, Raimel Tapia, and Bradley Zimmer through the CF spot in Springer's absence.
Mitch Bannon is a baseball reporter for Sports Illustrated covering the Toronto Blue Jays and their minor league affiliates.Twitter: @MitchBannon