George Springer is not just a DH anymore, and John Schneider says the Blue Jays are already mapping out his return to right field.
Schneider said Toronto has talked about getting Springer “the odd day in right field again” and added, “We kind of have a plan in place to get that going.” That is a bigger lineup note than it sounds at first.
Springer has been used almost entirely as a designated hitter in 2026. FanGraphs lists him with 38 games at DH, which shows how far Toronto had moved him away from regular outfield work.
That setup was easy to understand. Springer is 36, the Blue Jays wanted to protect his body, and the bat was supposed to carry enough value on its own. That has not happened cleanly this season.
Through his first 38 games, Springer is hitting .211 with an 87 wRC+, a steep drop from the standard Toronto expected after his huge 2025 season.
So this is not just a defensive tweak. It looks like Schneider trying to open more lineup flexibility while also asking Springer to bring value in another lane.
The move also says something about where the roster is right now. Toronto has leaned on younger outfield combinations and DH rotation ideas, but getting Springer back into right field would loosen the lineup card again.
-
Toronto is looking for more ways to use Springer
This can help in a few different spots. If Springer can handle right field even once or twice a week, Schneider gets more freedom to rest another regular, cycle a hotter bat through DH, or protect an injured player without losing offense completely.
There is still risk in it. Springer's defensive numbers had already pushed him off everyday outfield duty, and that decline is a big reason Toronto shifted him toward designated hitter in the first place.
But the Blue Jays are not talking about a full return to the grass. Schneider's wording matters here. “The odd day” in right field sounds like a controlled plan, not a permanent reversal.
That makes this easier to buy. A part-time outfield role asks Springer to do less than he used to while still giving Toronto another option when the roster needs a jolt.
It also puts more pressure on Springer himself. If he is going back into the field, even in small doses, the Blue Jays are clearly trying to squeeze more overall value from a veteran in the final year of his 6-year, $150 million contract.
For Schneider, this feels like a practical adjustment, not a sentimental one. The Blue Jays still believe George Springer can help them. They just want that help to come from more than one spot on the lineup card.
Should the Blue Jays put George Springer back in right field a couple times a week?
Also read on Blue Jays Insider :
John Schneider speaks on Max Scherzer's future after last night's terrible performance
