º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøBlue Jays centre-fielder Daulton Varsho (5) climbs the wall in an unsuccessful attempt to catch a solo home run by Detroit Tigers’ Riley Greene during second inning American League baseball action in º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøon Friday, May 16, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker
º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøBlue Jays centre-fielder Daulton Varsho (5) climbs the wall in an unsuccessful attempt to catch a solo home run by Detroit Tigers’ Riley Greene during second inning American League baseball action in º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøon Friday, May 16, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker
TORONTO - º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøBlue Jays manager John Schneider resisted the temptation to employ Anthony Santander as a ninth-inning pinch-hitter on Friday.
Schneider gave his struggling slugger a day off partly to rest a sore shoulder and partly to reset after a series against the Tampa Bay Rays in which he went 1 for 12 with five strikeouts.
“His shoulder was a little bit cranky still,” Schneider said. “So I didn’t want to force him in there if he couldn’t.”
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With two on and two out, and the Blue Jays behind a run, Santander was kept on the bench in favour of pinch-hitter Ernie Clement.
Clement grounded out to Detroit reliever Beau Brieske for the final out for a 5-4 win for the American League-leading Tigers.
The 30-year-old Santander went 0 for 3 against Brieske in 2024.
Schneider wanted to give his newcomer a complete day off to rest and reset.
The free-agent acquisition has struggled with a .187 average, five homers and 16 RBI after a career-best 44 homers in 2024.
“I kind of wanted to stay away from him, unless it was something like Myles Straw got a migraine, too,” said Schneider, whose starting right-fielder, Nathan Lukes, was forced out of the game with a migraine.
Straw replaced Lukes in the seventh inning.
Schneider felt that because Santander didn’t go through his usual preparation to play, it wasn’t fair to put him into the ninth-inning heat.
“It’s kind of a double negative if that makes sense,” Schneider said.
Varsho homers
In just 12 games, Daulton Varsho has snatched the Blue Jays’ home-run lead from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Varsho belted a two-run shot in the sixth inning for his sixth of the year.
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“It’s good for him, better for us,” Schneider said.
Francis’ fight
º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøstarter Bowden Francis has given up 14 home runs this season after the two dingers by Riley Greene and Zach McKinstry. It’s the most allowed by a pitcher in Major League Baseball so far this season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2025.
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