Deadspin | Missing George Springer, Jays send Max Scherzer vs. Twins 
Mar 31, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) delivers a pitch against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images The Toronto Blue Jays will be dealing with another injury concern Sunday afternoon when they face the visiting Minnesota Twins in the decisive encounter of a three-game series.
Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer suffered a fractured left big toe Saturday during the Twins’ 7-4 victory. Springer fouled a ball off his foot in the third inning and went down in pain, but waved off trainers. He finished the at-bat and grounded out to third before leaving the game.
Toronto manager John Schneider said Springer was going to have a CT scan.
“Initial X-rays showed a possible, probable small fracture,” Schneider said. “We’ll know more in the next couple of days. Seen Georgie do that a lot of times. Usually, when he gives us that (the wave off) he’s all right.”
Schneider said the CT scan likely would determine how much time Springer could miss.
“I know Georgie plays through a lot all the time,” he said. “Fingers crossed but we’ll see what the CT says.”
Schneider said that Springer had fouled a ball off the same toe on Friday.
The Blue Jays are slated to go with right-hander Max Scherzer (1-1, 3.38 ERA) on Sunday. Scherzer is 10-2 with a 4.18 ERA in 19 career starts against Minnesota.
Scherzer left his start against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday after two innings and 36 pitches because of right forearm tendinitis. He said at the time that he did not expect to miss his next start.
The Twins are scheduled to start right-hander Taj Bradley (2-0, 1.08). In six games (four starts), Bradley is 2-2 with a 4.88 ERA against Toronto.
The Twins scored all their runs Saturday in the third inning against starter Eric Lauer. Brooks Lee started it with a solo shot — his second homer in two games — and Trevor Larnach finished it with a three-run blast. Two walks were also in the mix.
The Twins have homered in 25 consecutive games at Rogers Centre.
“Overall, we just had really consistent at-bats in that inning,” Twins manager Derek Shelton said. “We’re having good at-bats, we’re grinding through it. We’re adding in walks.”
The Twins have faced nine left-handed starters in 15 games, including Lauer.
“We’re extremely left-handed and it’s a little bit of a challenge for us,” Shelton said. “But we’ve had guys step up. It’s been different guys on different days. Today Larnach got the start against the left-hander and hits a three-run homer. (Matt) Wallner has done very similar to that.
“We just have to get through this stretch. It’s a little bit unprecedented because I know we get two more (left-handers) in the next series, too. There’s nothing we can do. We have to figure out how to beat guys and so far we’ve done a pretty good job of it.”
Twins starter Joe Ryan overcame Daulton Varsho’s two-run homer in the first to go seven innings, allowing only one more hit and a hit batter.
The Twins put infielder Royce Lewis on the injured list with a sprained knee. Ryan Kreidler was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul and started at third base. He was 0-for-4 and made a superb defensive play on a grounder by Nathan Lukes to end the seventh.
Minnesota also placed Cody Laweryson on the IL, retroactive to April 9, with a right forearm strain and promoted fellow right-handed reliever Andrew Morris from St. Paul.
–Field Level Media
#Deadspin #Missing #George #Springer #Jays #send #Max #Scherzer #Twins
Mar 31, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) delivers a pitch against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images The Toronto Blue Jays will be dealing with another injury concern Sunday afternoon when they face the visiting Minnesota Twins in the decisive encounter of a three-game series.
Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer suffered a fractured left big toe Saturday during the Twins’ 7-4 victory. Springer fouled a ball off his foot in the third inning and went down in pain, but waved off trainers. He finished the at-bat and grounded out to third before leaving the game.
Toronto manager John Schneider said Springer was going to have a CT scan.
“Initial X-rays showed a possible, probable small fracture,” Schneider said. “We’ll know more in the next couple of days. Seen Georgie do that a lot of times. Usually, when he gives us that (the wave off) he’s all right.”
Schneider said the CT scan likely would determine how much time Springer could miss.
“I know Georgie plays through a lot all the time,” he said. “Fingers crossed but we’ll see what the CT says.”
Schneider said that Springer had fouled a ball off the same toe on Friday.
The Blue Jays are slated to go with right-hander Max Scherzer (1-1, 3.38 ERA) on Sunday. Scherzer is 10-2 with a 4.18 ERA in 19 career starts against Minnesota.
Scherzer left his start against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday after two innings and 36 pitches because of right forearm tendinitis. He said at the time that he did not expect to miss his next start.
The Twins are scheduled to start right-hander Taj Bradley (2-0, 1.08). In six games (four starts), Bradley is 2-2 with a 4.88 ERA against Toronto.
The Twins scored all their runs Saturday in the third inning against starter Eric Lauer. Brooks Lee started it with a solo shot — his second homer in two games — and Trevor Larnach finished it with a three-run blast. Two walks were also in the mix.
The Twins have homered in 25 consecutive games at Rogers Centre.
“Overall, we just had really consistent at-bats in that inning,” Twins manager Derek Shelton said. “We’re having good at-bats, we’re grinding through it. We’re adding in walks.”
The Twins have faced nine left-handed starters in 15 games, including Lauer.
“We’re extremely left-handed and it’s a little bit of a challenge for us,” Shelton said. “But we’ve had guys step up. It’s been different guys on different days. Today Larnach got the start against the left-hander and hits a three-run homer. (Matt) Wallner has done very similar to that.
“We just have to get through this stretch. It’s a little bit unprecedented because I know we get two more (left-handers) in the next series, too. There’s nothing we can do. We have to figure out how to beat guys and so far we’ve done a pretty good job of it.”
Twins starter Joe Ryan overcame Daulton Varsho’s two-run homer in the first to go seven innings, allowing only one more hit and a hit batter.
The Twins put infielder Royce Lewis on the injured list with a sprained knee. Ryan Kreidler was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul and started at third base. He was 0-for-4 and made a superb defensive play on a grounder by Nathan Lukes to end the seventh.
Minnesota also placed Cody Laweryson on the IL, retroactive to April 9, with a right forearm strain and promoted fellow right-handed reliever Andrew Morris from St. Paul.
–Field Level Media
![IPL 2026: Sanju Samson stakes claim to be CSK’s ‘leading man’ with maiden hundred in yellow jersey Viyarppu thunniyitta kuppayam. Athil nirangal mangukilla kattayam. [Dress spun from sweat; more vivid than any story ever told].The opening lyrics of the song ‘Kuthanthram’ from the 2024 Malayalam classic ‘Manjummel Boys’ left a lasting imprint on people’s minds due to its quirky metaphorical connotation.Indian batter Sanju Samson had referenced the phrase in a social media post after finding a spot back in the playing eleven after being dropped following a disappointing tour of Australia.A lot has transpired in Samson’s life since that game in December 2025. He was dropped from the team again. He was reintegrated again. And then he played three career-defining knocks, one after the other, to guide his nation to a third T20 World Cup triumph.On Saturday, at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, another vivid story was written when a drenched-in-sweat Samson yielded his willow after Chennai Super Kings’ first innings against Delhi Capitals. An unbeaten 115 in front of 30,000 yellow-clad fans at his new amphitheatre was the first real indication of a metamorphosis foreseen by many since the 31-year-old traded his longstanding pink for yellow ahead of the new IPL season.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yGy2jRz8Jc[/embed]Like most things in his more-than-a-decade-long career so far, this too did not come easy for him. Three consecutive no-shows with the bat, all while being the torchbearer for the side’s new injection of exuberance, almost extinguished the halo of nobility that appeared after his World Cup exploits.The first ball he faced from debutant Auqib Nabi set the tone for the day. You would imagine that a batter who was dismissed thrice in succession by the ball moving away — twice through an outside edge looking to push away from off-stump — would look to ensure there was no movement on offer before playing a similar shot. Not Samson. He prodded his front foot across, in a sign of immense self-confidence, to caress the ball through the covers and pick up three.While his opening partner, Ruturaj Gaikwad, struggled to combine both timing and the art of finding the gap together, Samson delivered a clinic in batting against pace in the PowerPlay, combining composure and direction to give his side a rapid start. Two gorgeous fours over extra-cover against Axar Patel followed, after which the Kerala batter slipped his vehicle into autopilot, the likes of which we saw at the victorious multi-nation tournament.A bothersome back, a dropped catch in the deep, and an unnerving prolonged stint in the 90s later, a fortuitous outside edge of the blade took him to three figures, one that the crowd welcomed with ear-splitting whistles and a standing ovation. The CSK fanbase has long venerated a wicketkeeper-batter to such a degree that he is now considered to be the son of the soil. The unyielding fandom has grown to such an extent that it forces him to return to play in front of the adoring crowd despite his growing years. It can’t go on forever, though. But now, there is a successor in place, and Saturday at the Chepauk was his first step towards staking a claim to be that leading man. Published on Apr 12, 2026 #IPL #Sanju #Samson #stakes #claim #CSKs #leading #man #maiden #yellow #jersey](https://i2.wp.com/ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/rfo0xt/article70853376.ece/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1200/image%2013.jpg?ssl=1 "IPL 2026: Sanju Samson stakes claim to be CSK’s ‘leading man’ with maiden hundred in yellow jersey Viyarppu thunniyitta kuppayam. Athil nirangal mangukilla kattayam. [Dress spun from sweat; more vivid than any story ever told].The opening lyrics of the song ‘Kuthanthram’ from the 2024 Malayalam classic ‘Manjummel Boys’ left a lasting imprint on people’s minds due to its quirky metaphorical connotation.Indian batter Sanju Samson had referenced the phrase in a social media post after finding a spot back in the playing eleven after being dropped following a disappointing tour of Australia.A lot has transpired in Samson’s life since that game in December 2025. He was dropped from the team again. He was reintegrated again. And then he played three career-defining knocks, one after the other, to guide his nation to a third T20 World Cup triumph.On Saturday, at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, another vivid story was written when a drenched-in-sweat Samson yielded his willow after Chennai Super Kings’ first innings against Delhi Capitals. An unbeaten 115 in front of 30,000 yellow-clad fans at his new amphitheatre was the first real indication of a metamorphosis foreseen by many since the 31-year-old traded his longstanding pink for yellow ahead of the new IPL season.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yGy2jRz8Jc[/embed]Like most things in his more-than-a-decade-long career so far, this too did not come easy for him. Three consecutive no-shows with the bat, all while being the torchbearer for the side’s new injection of exuberance, almost extinguished the halo of nobility that appeared after his World Cup exploits.The first ball he faced from debutant Auqib Nabi set the tone for the day. You would imagine that a batter who was dismissed thrice in succession by the ball moving away — twice through an outside edge looking to push away from off-stump — would look to ensure there was no movement on offer before playing a similar shot. Not Samson. He prodded his front foot across, in a sign of immense self-confidence, to caress the ball through the covers and pick up three.While his opening partner, Ruturaj Gaikwad, struggled to combine both timing and the art of finding the gap together, Samson delivered a clinic in batting against pace in the PowerPlay, combining composure and direction to give his side a rapid start. Two gorgeous fours over extra-cover against Axar Patel followed, after which the Kerala batter slipped his vehicle into autopilot, the likes of which we saw at the victorious multi-nation tournament.A bothersome back, a dropped catch in the deep, and an unnerving prolonged stint in the 90s later, a fortuitous outside edge of the blade took him to three figures, one that the crowd welcomed with ear-splitting whistles and a standing ovation. The CSK fanbase has long venerated a wicketkeeper-batter to such a degree that he is now considered to be the son of the soil. The unyielding fandom has grown to such an extent that it forces him to return to play in front of the adoring crowd despite his growing years. It can’t go on forever, though. But now, there is a successor in place, and Saturday at the Chepauk was his first step towards staking a claim to be that leading man. Published on Apr 12, 2026 #IPL #Sanju #Samson #stakes #claim #CSKs #leading #man #maiden #yellow #jersey")
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