Daulton

Varsho

Varsho was a big help in fantasy leagues in the final two months of last season, hitting .256 with 12 homers and 35 RBI in 47 games after returning from a hamstring strain. If he could keep that up, he might get a chance to hit third or fourth against righties, giving his value another boost. Alas, he was all the way down at seventh in the lineup today behind Addison Barger in the fifth spot and Kazuma Okamoto hitting sixth.

Okamoto immediately slots into the heart of Toronto’s loaded lineup as the defending American League champions open their spring exhibition schedule. The 29-year-old infielder brings an extensive track record of success in Japan as a power-oriented bat with solid contact skills, a profile that should make his transition to the majors less volatile than most international imports. He’s been going outside the top 275 picks on average in NFBC drafts since early February, making him an intriguing late-round flyer for fantasy managers. Here is the full lineup: Ernie Clement (2B), Andrés Giménez (SS), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B), Alejandro Kirk (C), Addison Barger (RF, Okamoto (3B), Daulton Varsho (DH), Davis Schneider (LF), Nathan Lukes (CF).

Varsho has never quite taken off like many expected when he was traded from the Diamondbacks to the Blue Jays after the 2022 season. Last year, he hit .238/.284/.548 with 20 home runs and just two steals in 71 games. The power was nice to see, and Varsho plays tremendous defense in center field, but he has hit just .221 in three seasons with the Blue Jays, which significantly caps his fantasy upside, especially if he’s no longer stealing 15 or more bases in a season.

Springer has been playing through a laundry list of physical issues this postseason, but he’s atop Toronto’s lineup as the calendar flips to November for the most important contest for the franchise in over three decades. Alejandro Kirk is a full-go for the winner-take-all showdown at the Rogers Centre after being plunked on the left hand during the ninth inning of Game 6. Here’s the full lineup set to face Dodgers superstar Shoei Ohtani and company: Springer (DH), Nathan Lukes (LF), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B), Bo Bichette (2B), Addison Barger (RF), Kirk (C), Daulton Varsho (CF), Ernie Clement (3B) and Andrés Giménez (SS).

The 36-year-old slugger missed each of the previous two games — both Blue Jays’ road victories — due to discomfort in his right side. He’ll serve as the designated hitter and bat leadoff against Dodgers’ right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Friday evening. Here’s the full lineup the Jays will use as they attempt to close out their first World Series Championship since 1993: Springer (DH), Nathan Lukes (LF), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B), Bo Bichette (2B), Daulton Varsho (CF), Alejandro Kirk (C), Addison Barger (RF), Ernie Clement (3B) and Andrés Giménez (SS).

Springer wasn’t able to swing well enough before the game to return to the lineup after leaving Game 3 with right side discomfort. The 36-year-old veteran could be available off the bench to pinch-hit in a key spot, based on the tone of Blue Jays manager John Schneider’s pregame comments, though that’s far from a certainty. Nathan Lukes has been moved up to the leadoff spot in his absence with Bo Bichette taking over at DH and Isiah Kiner-Falefa at second base as Toronto faces Dodger superstar Shohei Ohtani on Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Here’s the full lineup: Lukes (LF), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B), Bichette (DH), Addison Barger (RF), Alejandro Kirk (C), Daulton Varsho (CF), Ernie Clement (3B), Andrés Giménez (SS) and Kiner-Falefa (2B).

Bichette came off the bench as a pinch-hitter during Saturday evening’s Game 2 loss at the Rogers Centre after making his first professional start at the keystone during the Fall Classic opener. The Blue Jays will continue to manage his workload the rest of the way as the 27-year-old impending free agent is coming back from a PCL sprain in his right knee that put him on the shelf in early September. No real changes otherwise from Toronto manager John Schneider as the best-of-seven series heads to Los Angeles with Tyler Glasnow on the hill for the Dodgers. Here’s the full lineup: George Springer (DH), Nathan Lukes (LF), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B), Bichette (2B), Daulton Varsho (CF), Alejandro Kirk (C), Addison Barger (RF), Ernie Clement (3B) and Andrés Giménez (SS).

Isiah Kiner-Falefa is at second base with Bichette on the bench to open Saturday’s showdown at the Rogers Centre. The 27-year-old impending free agent made his first-ever appearance at the keystone during the Fall Classic opener and went 1-for-2 with a walk in his first game action since September 6. It doesn’t come as a total surprise that the Blue Jays are going to be extremely cautious with his workload considering the nature of the right knee injury he’s working his way back from. The other notable change for Toronto is Addison Barger entering the lineup after slugging a pinch-hit grand slam during Friday’s series-opening victory. Here’s the full lineup: George Springer (DH), Nathan Lukes (LF), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B), Alejandro Kirk (C), Daulton Varsho (CF), Ernie Clement (3B), Barger (RF), Kiner-Falefa (2B) and Andrés Giménez (SS).

Varsho tied the game at 2-2 with a two-run shot off Blake Snell; Snell’s first homer allowed in 190 batters. He also was hit in the shoulder by Snell in the sixth, and came around to score on a single by Andres Giménez. Varsho will likely hit fifth again against Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Dodgers in Game 2 of the World Series come Saturday.

Bichette makes his highly anticipated return to the Jays’ lineup and should provide a boost to an offense that was already firing on all cylinders heading into the fall classic. Here’s the full lineup that the Jays will roll out against left-hander Blake Snell on baseball’s biggest stage on Friday: George Springer (DH), Davis Schneider (LF), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B), Bo Bichette (2B), Alejandro Kirk (C), Daulton Varsho (CF), Ernie Clement (3B), Myles Straw (RF) and Andrés Giménez (SS).