The Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Minnesota Twins 11-4 on Saturday, but the win was overshadowed by an injury to veteran outfielder George Springer. Springer was hit by a pitch on his left big toe, the same toe he had fractured last month.
Springer's injury woes continue
Springer missed 18 games after fracturing his toe on a foul tip on April 11. He returned to the lineup on Wednesday and had hits in three consecutive games before Saturday's incident. In the third inning, Twins starter Connor Prielipp hit Springer on the toe, sending his protective foot shield flying. Springer was in obvious pain and was replaced by Jesus Sanchez.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider and a trainer checked on Springer, who eventually returned to the dugout. The team has not yet announced whether Springer will miss additional time.
Cease allows first homer of season
Starter Dylan Cease entered the game without allowing a home run in his first six starts. That changed in the first inning when Byron Buxton led off with a solo blast. Cease worked seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out seven. It was his longest outing of the season.
Power display from unlikely sources
Myles Straw hit a two-run homer in the second inning, his second of the season. The blast landed in the second deck at Target Field. Earlier in the inning, Lenyn Sosa hit his first home run as a Blue Jay, a solo shot that gave Toronto a 5-4 lead. Sosa was acquired from the Chicago White Sox last month.
Okamoto continues hot streak
Kazuma Okamoto hit two home runs for the second consecutive game. He launched a 453-foot solo shot in the sixth inning, the longest homer by a Blue Jay this season. In the eighth, he tied the game with an RBI single that scored Ernie Clement. Okamoto now has eight home runs and 20 RBIs, leading the team in both categories.
Up next
The Blue Jays will send Trey Yesavage to the mound for Sunday's series finale. In his MLB debut, Yesavage tossed 5.1 shutout innings against the Boston Red Sox, earning the win. Toronto has won three straight series and can make it four with a victory on Sunday.
