The horrific start to the 2026 season for the Toronto Blue Jays continued on Saturday afternoon, as outfielder/designated hitter George Springer was removed from the game against the Minnesota Twins with an injury.

Springer fractured his left big toe by fouling a ball off his foot in the bottom of the third inning.

He is just the latest in a long line of early season injuries for the reigning American League champions: Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage and Jose Berrios haven't pitched yet this season, nor has Yimi Garcia. Addison Barger (ankle) and Alejandro Kirk (thumb) sustained injuries after the start of the season, as did Cody Ponce, who is likely to miss the entirety of the campaign. 

Bowden Francis is out for the year as well, and Anthony Santander might miss the entire season with a labrum issue. 

There won't be a further update on Springer until after the game or before Sunday's contest.

A 13-year veteran of the Houston Astros and Blue Jays, Springer is a four-time All-Star who is known for his clutch playoff performances. He won the 2017 World Series with the Astros, earning the World Series MVP, and he sent the Blue Jays to the World Series in 2025 with a late game-winning home run against the Seattle Mariners.

A career .266 hitter entering play on Saturday, he has 295 home runs and 802 RBIs. He hit a career-high 39 homers for Houston in 2019.

He signed a six-year deal with the Blue Jays before the 2021 season and that deal expires after this season. It's unclear what his future looks like at the age of 36. He'll be 37 before the start of the 2027 season, which is also up in the air because of likely labor issues.

Entering play on Saturday, Springer was hitting just .189 with two home runs on the campaign. He is a three-time Silver Slugger as well.

We will have an update on Springer's timeline when one becomes available.

In positive injury news for the Jays, Berrios and Yesavage are progressing nicely and should be back in relatively short order.

Berrios, who pitched until late in spring training before being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right elbow, will begin his minor league rehab next week. He's hoping to reach 50 pitches in his first game, but will likely have more to follow.

Yesavage, who did not appear in a spring training contest because of a right shoulder impingement, has already made two successful minor league rehab starts. He will make another next week and will hope to reach into the 70s with his pitch count. That could be his final appearance before heading to the big leagues.

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