One of Toronto's most important offensive contributors is finally set to make his return.
Blue Jays outfielder George Springer has been reinstated from the seven-day concussion injured list and will be active for Saturday's game against the Texas Rangers, the team announced ahead of the outing.
In a corresponding move, outfielder Joey Loperfido has been optioned to triple-A Buffalo.
Springer, who hit the seven-day concussion injured list on Aug. 1 after being hit on the head by a pitch a few days earlier, suited up for games with the Bisons on Thursday and Friday, tallying two hits and one home run in five at-bats with the minor-league club.
"His at-bat quality, home-run potential, the way he runs the bases, kinda just the energy he brings overall," manager John Schneider said of what Springer adds to the team's lineup. "Really excited to have him back, I know he's excited to be back. He's been a huge part of our team this year."
Over 101 games at the MLB level this season, Springer has enjoyed a resurgent year, slashing .291/.383/.506 with 18 home runs and 57 RBIs.
The 26-year-old Loperfido has been excellent for Toronto this season when called up from Buffalo.
He's hitting .358 with three home runs, 10 runs batted in, and a stolen base in 30 games. He has a .409 on-base percentage and a .506 slugging percentage in the major leagues this year.
"It's a tough one," Schneider said of the decision to option Loperfido. "I don't think anyone deserves to be sent down right now. It's good problems to have when you're a good team...
"Know that you're gonna be back here at some point to help us win. It's never fun to be told that you're being sent down to the minor leagues, especially right now with the way we're playing, and he understood it, handled it like a pro. We'll probably see him back here shortly."
The Blue Jays return to action on Saturday afternoon, with coverage beginning on Sportsnet at 2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT.
-- With files from the Canadian Press
