Vladimir

Guerrero Jr.

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).

Guerrero went back-to-back with Davis Schneider to leadoff the game and give the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead. His second free pass was a wild pitch that allowed a run to score. The 26-year-old superstar has gotten on base at a .506 clip with an .831 slugging percentage while homering eight times in the postseason, and he’s how helped Toronto get to within one win of their first World Series title in 32 years.

With the victory, Toronto evens the Fall Classic at two games apiece with Game 5 on tap for Wednesday evening in Los Angeles before the series shifts back to Canada. Guerrero put the Blue Jays ahead for good in this one when he took Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani deep in the third inning. It was his seventh round-tripper of the playoffs. The 26-year-old franchise cornerstone is batting .419 (26-for-62) this postseason and has the Blue Jays within two games of their first title in 32 years.

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).

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).

Guerrero’s postseason for the ages continued in the ALCS as he tormented Seattle’s pitching staff throughout the the best-of-seven series to help the Blue Jays punch their ticket back to the World Series for the first time since 1993. The 26-year-old generational talent has served as Toronto’s primary offensive catalyst throughout the postseason, batting .442 (19-for-43) with six homers and 12 RBI so far. The Blue Jays will square off against the defending World Series champion Dodgers in Game 1 of the Fall Classic on Friday night at the Rogers Centre.

Springer went 0-for-4 out of the leadoff spot during Sunday’s win-or-go-home Game 6 showdown after making an early exit from Game 5 on Friday night with a knee contusion. Toronto has a chance to punch their ticket to the Fall Classic to face the defending World Series champion Dodgers. Here’s the full lineup: Springer (DH), Nathan Lukes (LF), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B), Alejandro Kirk (C), Daulton Varsho (CF), Ernie Clement (3B), Addison Barger (RF), Isiah Kiner-Falefa (2B) and Andrés Giménez (SS).