George Springer Powers Blue Jays Standings Push With Split in New York — Toronto Blue Jays Standings

George Springer homered twice and the Blue Jays left New York with a split, keeping toronto blue jays standings within 1.5 games of the third wild-card spot at 24-27. With about 50 games played, that puts Toronto still within reach in an American League where only five teams are above.500.

Springer Drives Toronto

The series split against the New York Yankees kept Toronto from losing ground in the race for the third wild-card spot. Springer supplied the biggest power swing, going deep twice in the four-game series, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reached base three times on Thursday.

Toronto needed that kind of output because the club entered the stretch with multiple injuries already on the board, including Jose Berrios, Shane Bieber, Cody Ponce, Max Scherzer, Yimi Garcia, Tommy Nance, Joe Mantiply, Alejandro Kirk, Addison Barger, Springer and Anthony Santander. That list has forced the Blue Jays to keep changing how they handle the late innings.

Blue Jays Bullpen Mix

Louis Varland has handled the closer role and has saved all six of his opportunities so far this season. Jeff Hoffman has also been used, but he has blown three of his seven opportunities, and Toronto has leaned on a bullpen by committee at different points.

That instability sits next to a middling record and a thin cushion in the standings. The Blue Jays were 11 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays, who held a 33-15 record and the best mark in baseball, while only five of the 15 American League teams had a positive run differential.

Tampa Bay Gap

That leaves Toronto chasing more than one club at once, even after taking a split from New York. The Blue Jays have not put themselves out of the race, but the gap to the top of the division and the tight wild-card margin show how little room there is for another bad week.