Blue Jays' John Schneider Gives George Springer Injury Update Before Guardians Game
George Springer's return from a toe injury may be closer than Toronto Blue Jays fans expected.
Manager John Schneider provided an encouraging update on the veteran outfielder on Friday while on MLB Network Radio, saying that Springer has been ramping up baseball activities in recent days and could be ready for a return within a day or two.
"Georgie's getting close," Schneider said. "He's been hitting for about five, six days. In the last couple of days, he's been running."
Springer has missed 10 games with a fractured left big toe, a stretch that has coincided with Toronto's struggles out of the gate. The Blue Jays enter Friday's matchup against the Cleveland Guardians sitting in fourth place in the American League East with a 10-14 record.
"Maybe just even a day or two."
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) April 24, 2026
John Schneider gives the latest update on George Springer (toe). #BlueJays | #BlueJays50
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Schneider noted that Springer was at the ballpark during Thursday's off day, continuing his work, and that it was his best day at the plate yet.
"Yesterday was probably his best day of hitting," Schneider said.
Schneider cautioned that the toe will still take some time to heal fully and that Springer will need load management even after he returns to the lineup. With the injury still in the healing process, Schneider knows that it could be an uncomfortable time for the 36-year-old.
"It's going to be a little bit tricky for a couple of weeks for him," Schneider said. "It's going to be kind of a pain in the toe, if you will, for a couple of weeks until it fully heals."
Despite the lingering pain, Schneider expressed confidence in the type of player Springer is.
"He's a gamer. He's a grinder," Schneider said.
Schneider also mentioned a few boxes still need to be checked before Springer can be activated.
"As long as he's facing some live pitching and some velo stuff off of the machine and feels okay, kind of turn around the bases, we're gonna hit go as quick as we can," Schneider said.
Springer began the season as Toronto's designated hitter before the toe injury landed him on the injured list. In those games, he slashed .185/.290/.370 for a .661 OPS. Since the IL stint, the Blue Jays turned to Eloy Jimenez, the 29-year-old slugger, to take Springer's spot at DH. He has taken that role and has seen the ball well, batting .409 with a .871 OPS over eight games.
With Toronto struggling to keep pace in the AL East, getting Springer back, even in a limited capacity, would offer a boost to the club looking to climb back into AL East contention.
Related: Braves Announce Roster Move After Injury News
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This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 3:21 PM.