Blue Jays’ Springer leaves World Series Game 3 with injury

Toronto Blue Jays star George Springer left Game 3 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night with what the team is calling “right side discomfort.” Springer, who was replaced by veteran Ty France, was also forced out of a game in the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners when he was hit in the right knee by an errant throw from right-hander Bryan Woo.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Springer had an MRI and the team was awaiting the test results.

“We’ll see how it comes back and how it looks tomorrow,” Schneider said. “But it sucks. He’s obviously a big part of our lineup. I’m glad I took him out when I did and I hope it didn’t make things worse, but we’ll see how he does tomorrow.”

Springer, 36, called out to the training staff after throwing a first pitch to open the top of the seventh. He grabbed his right side and, although it is not yet clear what injury he sustained, this tends to be the universal sign of an oblique or intercoastal strain.

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Springer entered Game 3 hitting .259/.339/.593 with four homers and nine RBIs in his first 13 postseason games this month.

Springer had been one of the main talking points in Game 3, with reporters asking manager John Schneider (among others) how the Dodger Stadium crowd was likely to receive him. Keep in mind that the Dodgers felt slighted by Springer for his employment by the Houston Astros during their sign-stealing scandal.

“I know he prepared for this. He’s been dealing with this for a long time,” Schneider said Monday. “It kind of is what it is. I think me, the manager in me, I’m probably angrier than him because you always have this mode of protecting your players.

“But I don’t think it can galvanize a team, I don’t think it will directly affect what anyone does, and I don’t think it will affect what George does. George is arguably one of the best World Series players in the history of the game. So I think the fans, if they show their opinion or their emotions, that’s fine. George has an incredible ability to stay focused and present on what he’s doing.”