Toronto Blue Jays will have tough roster decisions to make in near future

The Toronto Blue Jays are getting healthy, which could lead to some very difficult roster decisions in the near future.

Second baseman Andrés Giménez, who has not played since early July due to an ankle sprain, has begun a rehab assignment and is expected to be activated early next week. Meanwhile, George Springer has not yet gotten clearance for a rehab assignment, but is said to be very close and will be activated shortly afterward.

Once both are able to return, it will result in some tough decisions for the Blue Jays, who are scorching hot after setting an MLB record with 63 hits in their three-game series versus the Colorado Rockies. It’s a good problem to have when everybody is playing this well, but it will result in a couple of players being either optioned or designated for assignment (DFA) to no fault of their own.

One obvious candidate to be removed from the roster is Buddy Kennedy, who recently had his contract selected. The other, however, isn’t as clear.

Some have suggested Davis Schneider, who still has options left. They could also option Joey Loperfido, though he has been hitting the ball very well since being summoned from Triple-A Buffalo.

Another player with options is Nathan Lukes, but given how well he has played this season, it’s hard to envision management sending him down. It is important to remember, however, that rosters will expand come September.

One other consideration is DFAing Ty France, who was recently acquired in a trade at the deadline from the Minnesota Twins. The question comes down to whether management is high on the 31-year-old, or thought of him as more of a throw-in in a trade that also saw them acquire reliever Louis Varland.

It’s no surprise that a decision this difficult is on the horizon, given that the Jays sit at an incredible 68-48 so far on the season. Nonetheless, management will soon have some headaches as they begin to decide who to take off the current roster.

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