Davis Schneider is staring at John Schneider's toughest Blue Jays roster call with Addison Barger set to return Friday.
That is the decision sitting in front of Toronto now. Ben Nicholson-Smith reported Barger is expected to be active Friday against the Angels, and Schneider said the position-player move will be a tough one.
The roster squeeze is real because Barger is not coming back as a spare bat. Before the injury, MLB.com had him lined up for regular right-field work, with room to move around the infield, too.
That makes the easiest answer look obvious. Davis Schneider is hitting .137 with a .578 OPS in 51 at-bats, and that is the weakest offensive case among Toronto's current position-player fringe options.
The timing hurts him even more. Toronto is not deciding this in a vacuum. Barger has already started his rehab and homered in his first game back, which only adds pressure to clear a path for him right away.
There is also the role problem. Davis Schneider is listed as an outfielder on the active roster, but that group already includes Daulton Varsho, Myles Straw, Jesús Sánchez, and Yohendrick Piñango.
George Springer holding the designated hitter lane most days only tightens that bench picture. Once Barger is active, there is even less room for a reserve bat who has not forced the issue at the plate.
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Addison Barger's return puts the pressure on Davis Schneider
This is why John Schneider called it a tough choice, but not necessarily a confusing one. Davis Schneider still brings patience, with a 21.5 percent walk rate, yet the overall production has not been enough to offset the .137 average and 30.8 percent strikeout rate.
And Toronto does have an easy procedural answer. Davis Schneider is still optionable, which means the Blue Jays can send him to Triple-A Buffalo without losing him, let him get regular at-bats, and keep the organization's depth intact. That is a much cleaner move than cutting into other parts of the bench.
The other names on the roster all have stronger short-term cases. Straw gives Toronto speed and center-field defense. Piñango is a younger left-handed look. Sánchez and Varsho have clearer everyday lanes.
That leaves Davis Schneider in the most vulnerable spot. He is not being pushed out because Barger is healthier alone. He is being pushed because Barger's return comes at the exact moment Schneider's own numbers have made him the easiest player to move.
So yes, John Schneider can call it a hard decision, and inside the room it probably is. But once Addison Barger is active Friday, Davis Schneider still looks like the clear Blue Jays position player headed down.
Should the Blue Jays option Davis Schneider when Addison Barger returns Friday?
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