Blue Jays forced into depleted lineup against the Diamondbacks

That was the expected move after Friday's scare, but it still changes the feel of this lineup. Varsho told Schneider before the game that he was dealing with discomfort in his left quad down into the knee, and Toronto pulled him to be extra careful.

The good news is that Schneider said there was no MRI and called Varsho day to day. The bad news is that Toronto still had to post a lineup without one of its most valuable outfield pieces less than 24 hours later.

Myles Straw gets the center-field job Saturday, which is the cleanest fix for Schneider. Straw gives Toronto real coverage in the field, but Varsho's absence still strips a left-handed threat out of a lineup that has already looked thin around Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Nathan Lukes stays in the leadoff spot in right field, Ernie Clement hits second, and Guerrero holds the 3 hole. Behind them, Jesús Sánchez, Eloy Jiménez, Andrés Giménez, Kazuma Okamoto, Straw, and Tyler Heineman round out the order.

That is a workable card, but it is not the same one Toronto wanted. Varsho entered this series with 3 home runs in his last 6 games, which had made him one of the few Blue Jays bats showing real life.

This is where the roster strain starts to show. The Blue Jays came into Saturday at 7-12, and Schneider is now trying to piece together offense while George Springer, Addison Barger, and Alejandro Kirk remain out, too.

Straw in center is the baseball answer. The bigger issue is what happens to the rest of the card when Varsho is not in it, because Toronto loses defense, speed, and one more hitter who can change an inning without waiting for three straight singles.

There is also extra pressure on Lukes now. He is in the lineup again even after entering Friday 1-for-24 in April, and that matters more when the club no longer has Varsho covering center and lengthening the top half.

Schneider can at least tell himself the replacement is steady. MLB.com noted that the Blue Jays are fully comfortable with Straw stepping in as the everyday center fielder if needed.

But everyday coverage is different from keeping the lineup intact. Varsho had already become one of the Blue Jays' better all-around players again, and that is not something this roster can brush aside right now.

So Saturday's lineup is not just a routine shuffle. It is the first look at how thin Toronto gets the second Daulton Varsho is taken off the lineup card, even if Schneider still believes this is only a day-to-day issue.