Toronto Blue Jays have new lineup plan upon Santander return

The Toronto Blue Jays have some big decisions to make in the coming weeks.

Anthony Santander is ramping up his return to action, with the plan that he’ll head to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons for a rehab assignment starting next week.

While he was the Blue Jays’ biggest addition of the offseason, Santander’s been hurt pretty much the entire time the team has skyrocketed to the top of the American League East. Santander hasn’t played since May 29, dealing with shoulder inflammation. In 50 games for the Blue Jays this season, he has a batting average of .179 with six homers and 18 RBIs.

Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reported that if Santander is ready to rejoin the lineup, he’ll likely split the designated hitter duties with George Springer, while also playing in the outfield.

Springer has played 65 games at designated hitter this season, in addition to 49 games in the outfield. Santander, meanwhile, has played 29 games as a designated hitter and 19 in the outfield, in addition to one at first base.

It’s a delicate balance for the Blue Jays manager to find a way to fit in the team’s big-ticket signing, as there’s always the risk of messing up a lineup that’s been consistently productive without Santander.

But a healthy Santander has shown an ability to be one of the game’s best power hitters, launching 44 home runs last season for the Baltimore Orioles.

“We’re winning, and I’m happy for the work they’ve been doing,” Santander said this week, per Nicholson-Smith. “That’s making me keep working hard through this process, so when the time comes to join the team, I can try to do my job to help the team. They’ve been doing a great job the whole year.”

You might also like:
• When Santander could return to Toronto Blue Jays lineup after 3+ months away