Varsho set to start rehab assignment; return will create roster questions for Blue Jays
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Gold Glove-winning outfielder Daulton Varsho is nearing a return to the Toronto Blue Jays lineup, as he is slated to begin a rehab assignment in Single-A Dunedin in the coming days.
Varsho has been on the 10-day IL since the beginning of the season as he continues to work his way back from shoulder surgery in September.
He appeared in 12 games in Spring Training as a designated hitter, hitting .242 with four home runs, but the team has waited to activate him until he is ready to patrol centre field.
Varsho's impending return to the lineup will create questions for a Blue Jays team that has had six outfielders on the roster since opening day.
“I don’t think multiple, but definitely one,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said of how Varsho will affect roster construction. “Position, handedness, all of that stuff, it probably impacts one spot, not two.”
Of the seven outfielders to see time for the Blue Jays this season, three are left-handed hitters: Nathan Lukes, Addison Barger (recalled on Tuesday) and Alan Roden, Anthony Santander is a switch hitter and George Springer, Davis Schneider and Myles Straw are righties.
Varsho, a lefty, will likely force the Blue Jays to send one of the current lefties on the roster down.
Toronto is prioritizing hitting at this point in the season over fielding, which should give a hint as to how the roster will look when Varsho returns.
“We’ve got to start hitting some homers and start separating the score a little bit,” Schneider said earlier this week. “I’m confident that will happen, but overall, the approach has been good and the contact quality has been good, much better than where it was last year at this time.”
Hitting production among Blue Jays outfielders
| Player | Plate appearances | Average | On-base percentage | Slugging percentage | Home runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Springer | 56 | .375 | .436 | .604 | 2 |
| Anthony Santander | 83 | .216 | .301 | .351 | 2 |
| Alan Roden | 57 | .265 | .351 | .388 | 1 |
| Myles Straw | 35 | .355 | .412 | .516 | 1 |
| Nathan Lukes | 29 | .167 | .310 | .208 | 0 |
| Davis Schneider | 21 | .067 | .333 | .067 | 0 |
| Addison Barger (Triple-A) | 45 | .211 | .311 | .421 | 2 |
Varsho, 28, struggled at the plate a year ago, hitting just .214 with 18 home runs and a .293 on-base percentage. But the value added by his glove will presumably give him a spot defensively every game.
That leaves Lukes and Schneider, who has only one hit this season in 21 plate appearances, as the players likeliest to be affected by the return of Varsho.
While Schneider offers defensive versatility with the ability to play second base - where 56 of his 137 career MLB starts have come - he will be blocked by Gold Glover Andres Gimenez there for the most part.
The Blue Jays announced Thursday that Schneider was sent down to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.
The one other question mark facing the roster when Varsho returns is what will happen with Barger, who has played in two games in the majors this year.
The 25-year-old started the season in Triple-A despite a strong showing in Spring Training, but Schneider has high hopes for Barger at the plate.
“He’s doing better, and I think he’s carried it over into the season, what he was doing in camp,” Schneider said about Barger earlier in the week. “Being around [Blue Jays hitting coaches] David Popkins, Lou Iannotti and Hunter Mense is beneficial for him. It’s kind of the never-ending battle, when you have all of that strength and athleticism, when to tone it down and when to not.”
The Blue Jays (11-8) have an off day on Thursday before starting a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners at home on Friday. While they trail the New York Yankees (11-7) by a half-game for the American League East Division lead, they enter play on Thursday tied for the second-fewest home runs hit in the majors with 12.