Joey

Loperfido

Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw and Joey Loperfido are the names being mentioned. Lukes, who played a big role in the Jays’ postseason run, currently tops the team’s depth chart in left field, but expectations are that the Jays will add a bat, turning him back into a bench player (if it’s an infielder, then Addison Barger would likely start in the outfield). Straw was also a key bench guy last season, so the team would surely prefer to move Loperfido, all things being equal. Still, it’s unclear what kind of trade value Loperfido currently possesses; he’s not hopeless, but he wouldn’t seem to project as a regular at this point.

The 27-year-old has been shelved since early September due to a left knee sprain. It sounds like he’s still not 100 percent and it’ll be interesting to see how he’s deployed — whether it’s strictly as a designated hitter or if the Jays will slide him over to second base — but it sounds like they’ll have his bat at their disposal as they kick off the Fall Classic on Friday night against the Dodgers. Ty France was also added to the Jays’ roster for the World Series while Joey Loperfido and Yariel Rodriguez were removed.

The move has been made official by Major League Baseball, which approves all injury-related transactions during the postseason. The decision eliminates Santander from consideration for the World Series, if Toronto manages to advance. The switch-hitting 30-year-old slugger has been dealing with a lingering back issue throughout the playoffs. It’ll be Joey Loperfido taking his place on Toronto’s roster for the remainder of the best-of-seven series.

Those were Santander’s first at-bats in a game since May 29, when he was shut down due to a shoulder injury sustained earlier in the month. He figures to play in several games for Buffalo before the Jays activate him. Joey Loperfido figures to be sent down when that happens.

Loperfido had started both games since being recalled from Triple-A on Tuesday, but had gone 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. David Schneider will get the start in left field and bat seventh on Thursday.

Even though he’s managed just a .743 OPS in Triple-A, Loperfido has been great in limited action for the Blue Jays this season, hitting .358/.409/.507 in 89 plate appearances. He might steal away some time from the slumping Addison Barger in the outfield.

Loperfido heads back to the minors with veteran George Springer coming off the injured list for Saturday’s showdown against the Rangers. The 26-year-old has struggled against left-handed pitching and the Blue Jays need to pare down their outfield mix before he’s able to carve out an everyday role.

This is interesting because the Blue Jays are resting Nathan Lukes, Daulton Varsho, and Andres Gimenez with left-hander Matthew Boyd on the mound, yet Loperfido still finds himself in the lineup. There is a bit of a logjam in the Blue Jays lineup at the moment, but Loperfido has hit .372/.417/.526 in 28 games since being called up and deserves to stay in the lineup. Myles Straw will start in centerfield for Varsho, and Davis Schneider will start in left field for Lukes.

Loperfido returns to left field and will bat eighth on Sunday afternoon following a three-game absence due to a right knee contusion that he suffered when he was hit by a pitch earlier this week.

Loperfido will miss yet another game with his knee bruise, as he has not been able to play since Monday. He’ll sit with Davis Schneider in left field against the Dodgers on Saturday.