George Springer’s fractured toe adds to Blue Jays’ brutal early-season injury list

The Toronto Blue Jays have lost another important player to injury. Leadoff hitter George Springer suffered a fractured left big toe during Saturday afternoon’s game against the Minnesota Twins (GameTracker), the team announced. They have not yet revealed a timetable for his absence.

Springer was injured when he fouled his toe in the third inning. He stayed to complete the at-bat, found himself at third base, and cautiously ran to first base. In the lineup as a designated hitter, Springer was replaced by a pinch hitter for his next at-bat.

According to the Baseball Prospectus Recovery Dashboard, hitters with a big toe fracture missed two to six weeks, depending on the severity of the fracture. If it’s a hairline fracture, Springer could return before the end of the month. If it’s a more significant fracture, he will be sidelined until May.

Springer is a full-time DH these days. Not having to play on the field could speed up his return.

Blue Jays besieged by injuries

The reigning American League champions have been hit extremely hard by injuries. Most notably, All-Star wide receiver Alejandro Kirk will be out for six weeks after breaking his thumb last week. Toronto is also without Addison Barger (ankle) and Anthony Santander (shoulder), and that’s just at the position. Here are their starting injuries:

Yesavage is currently on a minor league rehab assignment and will make at least one more rehab start. The team will then decide on the next step. Berríos has started facing hitters in live batting practice and is about to serve a rehab assignment. Bieber is expected to start shedding a mound this weekend and is further behind.

Due to these injuries, the Blue Jays signed veteran left-hander Patrick Corbin and inserted him directly into the rotation this week without a minor league start. Max Scherzer, who left his last start with forearm tendinitis, is expected to start Sunday. It’s mid-April and the Blue Jays are already pushing the limits of their depth.

Springer, 36, has gotten off to a slow start this season, with a .189/.283/.377 line heading into Saturday’s game. Last season, he set new career highs in batting average (.309) and on-base percentage (.390), and posted his second-highest slugging percentage (.560). This is the final year of his six-year, $150 million contract.

The Blue Jays entered Saturday with a 6-7 record and the third-worst run differential in baseball (minus-16).