Veteran infielder expected to be left off the Toronto Blue Jays roster for Opening Day

Mar 12, 2026 (9:38 PM)

Photo credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Ben Nicholson-Smith tossing cold water on Eloy Jimenez is a harsh but absolutely necessary reality check today.

Everyone absolutely loves a phenomenal underdog comeback story during the slow and agonizing days of spring training.

Watching a former superstar utterly demolish baseballs in sunny Florida brings pure joy to our completely frozen winter mornings.

Eloy Jimenez is currently raking with a gorgeous .310 AVG, 1 HR, and an .892 OPS.

He looks completely reborn while launching majestic moonshots under the bright exhibition stadium lights.

Sportsnet reporter Ben Nicholson-Smith accurately points out that early exhibition statistics are notoriously deceptive for veteran hitters.

We all vividly remember Greg Bird looking like an absolute legend during the spring before completely disappearing from relevance.

Pitching quality varies wildly in March, meaning experienced hitters often feast on terrified minor league arms.

The front office also faces a massive roster logjam trying to find him everyday playing time.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer already dominate the right-handed designated hitter repetitions entirely.

Forcing him onto the opening day squad might mean losing a highly valuable defensive asset.

Every die-hard fan feels a tiny sting hearing our favorite new redemption arc might just be a mirage.

But the silver lining here is incredibly bright for our beloved franchise moving forward.

Signing Jimenez to a minor league deal was an absolute masterstroke by the brilliant front office.

It carries zero financial risk while stockpiling immense right-handed raw power in our upper minor leagues.

He already proved his elite bat speed never disappeared despite battling brutal physical ailments over the past few years.

If he starts the regular season mashing for the Buffalo Bisons, he becomes the ultimate injury insurance policy.

A grueling major league marathon always requires premium reinforcements to survive the brutal dog days of summer.

Having a motivated former slugger waiting patiently for his next big opportunity is a spectacular luxury for the manager.

Let the management team handle the complex roster puzzle while the big man keeps swinging freely.

We desperately need his terrifying bat speed ready when important playoff baseball finally arrives in Toronto.

Previously on Toronto Baseball Insider

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MARS 12\|198 ANSWERS Veteran infielder expected to be left off the Toronto Blue Jays roster for Opening Day Will Eloy Jimenez hit over 15 home runs for the Blue Jays this season?
Yes	135	68.2 %
No	63	31.8 %
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