It is looking “unlikely” that George Springer will be available for the Blue Jays’ Opening Day roster, as Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi (Twitter link) reports that Springer’s oblique strain is progressing well but not quite well enough to avoid missing some time. The Jays “will make a last-minute decision” on Springer leading up to their first game of the season, and if an injured-list placement is required, the borderline nature of Springer’s status would seem to hint that the outfielder might only be out for a minimal amount of time. That said, the Jays will certainly be cautious with their prized offseason signing, especially considering how oblique problems can linger and occasionally lead to multiple months on the IL.
More from the Jays…
- The team officially announced that they will play their home games in Dunedin through the end of May. The Jays had already committed to their temporary ballpark through their first two homestands of the season, but have now added that the May 14-24 homestand will also take place in Florida. Team president Mark Shapiro recently stated that the Blue Jays would likely be in Dunedin until early June, when the increasingly hot weather could prompt a return to Buffalo, site of the Jays’ Triple-A affiliate.
- T.J. Zeuch will make the Opening Day roster, manager Charlie Montoyo told The Toronto Star’s Laura Armstrong and other reporters on Monday. The 21st overall pick of the 2016 draft, Zeuch has a 3.71 ERA/5.09 SIERA and 52.8% groundball rate over 34 innings as a big leaguer. Zeuch will theoretically fill in for Robbie Ray (who will miss his first start due to a bruised elbow) in some capacity, though rather than a straight-forward spot start, Zeuch could be part of a bullpen game, work as a piggyback starter, or perhaps work as a bulk pitcher behind an opener.