TORONTO -- The Blue Jays reinstated Andrés Giménez off the 10-day injured list and Tyler Heineman off the 7-day concussion injured list ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Phillies.
To make room for Giménez and Heineman on the roster, infielder Michael Stefanic and catcher Ali Sánchez were designated for assignment. Those moves ensured that Davis Schneider and Alan Roden, who were recently called up from Triple-A Buffalo, would stay in the big leagues in bench roles for now.
Giménez, who went on the IL with a right quad strain on May 9, was in the No. 9 spot on Tuesday. The three-time Gold Glover is expected to play “pretty close to every day” at second base, according to manager John Schneider. That means Ernie Clement -- who filled in brilliantly for Giménez at second -- will return to third base for most of his starts, while Addison Barger should see more time in right field after taking over third in Giménez’s absence.
“At first it'll be pretty close to every day,” Schneider said of the lefty-hitting Giménez. “With two lefties [starting for the Phillies], we’ll probably give him one day off this series, just to kind of get his feet underneath him a little bit. But as he progresses, yeah, he's good. He's [pretty much] an everyday player for us.”
Giménez’s glove is still his main asset, but the Blue Jays are also concerned with putting forth the best offensive lineup available after a renaissance in May. A significant drop-off in production following a booming start saw Giménez dip from the cleanup spot to the nine-hole. But he was bouncing back at the time of his injury, riding a five-game hit streak with a .789 OPS during that time.