MINNEAPOLIS – George Springer’s snakebit season took another twist Saturday when a Connor Prielipp slider struck him on the same left foot as his fractured big toe and forced him out of Saturday’s contest against the Minnesota Twins.
The Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter, making a third straight start after coming off the bench Wednesday in his return from the injured list, lined out to centre in the first before stepping in with one out in the third inning.
Prielipp pulled a slider that broke sharply onto Springer’s front foot, dropping the 36-year-old, who writhed in pain. He was immediately attended to by head trainer Jose Ministral and manager John Schneider, and he eventually left the field. Jesus Sanchez was sent to run at first base.
Springer fractured his toe when he fouled a Joe Ryan pitch onto it April 11 in Toronto, causing him to miss 15 games. The Blue Jays wanted him to start against the lefty Prielipp before resting Sunday in the series finale (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+, 12:45 p.m. ET / 9:45 a.m. ET).
Before the game, Schneider said Springer, who had four hits in his first three games back, was “doing all right, not getting any worse and not putting himself in harm’s way. It’s like playoff George. He’s grinding through it.”
“When he broke his toe, his swing wasn’t really in the best spot. We always joke that when you’re fouling stuff off your front foot, you’re like, out and around, you’re not staying inside the ball,” Schneider added. “And he got back to what makes him good over those couple of weeks.”
