MINNEAPOLIS – Myles Straw stared out in disbelief as George Springer collapsed to the ground Saturday, after a Connor Prielipp slider clipped the same left foot as the Toronto Blue Jays’ leadoff man’s fractured big toe.
“Just what are the odds?” Straw wondered after an 11-4 win over the Minnesota Twins. “The fact that it got him on the big toe on the left foot, it's like, how, you know? It's baseball, we've seen crazy things happen, but I’m glad he’s OK.”
As are the Blue Jays, who appear to have dodged a bullet with their just-back-from-the-injured-list catalyst, who suffered no new injuries, nor any further damage, to his left foot, said manager John Schneider.
“He’s all right,” he continued. “I love that the X-rays are negative. There's nothing anything else going on with his toe. Just see how he is. I was going to give him the day (Sunday) anyway, with the early game for the old man. … He was back in the dugout being himself. That's a good sign. Hopefully, he'll be all right in a day or so.”
The latest twist in Springer’s season came in the third inning of his third start since returning, when Prielipp pulled a slider that broke sharply onto the 36-year-old’s front foot, which had a protective guard atop the shoe. He was immediately attended to by head trainer Jose Ministral and manager John Schneider, and eventually left the field, with Jesus Sanchez sent to run at first base.
Springer fractured his toe when he fouled a Joe Ryan pitch off it on April 11 in Toronto and missed 15 games. The Blue Jays wanted him to start against the lefty Prielipp before resting him for Sunday’s 11:45 a.m. local start (12:45 p.m. ET) ahead of a three-game set at the Tampa Bay Rays.
“I saw him walking around, he was in good spirits, having fun, his normal self, so I figured he'd be all right,” said Straw. “It's a good sign he's in the dugout, otherwise he'd probably be in the training room, so I think he'll be pretty good.”
Springer opened the game with a 100.1 m.p.h. liner that centre-fielder Byron Buxton chased down before getting hit, and has four hits since returning from the IL.
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