Toronto Blue Jays

As a special assistant to the general manager, Hall of Famer Craig Biggio is supposed to help the Houston Astros find ways to win games. As the father of Toronto Blue Jays star Cavan Biggio, his front-office job got a little bit tougher Saturday. 

With Toronto in town for a three-game set, the younger Biggio uncorked a towering, 390-foot home run to right field—as his father watched from his seats just behind home plate. 

It's Biggio's first home run at Minute Maid Park and left the bat at 104.2 miles per hour, according to Statcast. 

Considering the elder Biggio notched 79 of his 291 career homers at Minute Maid Park, his son may have a chance to surpass that number if he stays healthy—and continues to play in Houston often. 

If the Blue Jays star continues to rake like this against the Astros, his father may have no choice but to try trading for him.

The Toronto Blue Jays will likely have to wait a bit longer to get outfielder George Springer back in the lineup.

"I would expect it would take more than just the IL stint," general manager Ross Atkins said when discussing whether Springer will be ready to return when he is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list May 13, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

"There's a chance I'm wrong, but based on the information that I have right now, I would expect that it would take longer than that IL stint," he added.

Springer is sidelined with a quad injury and was placed on the injured list retroactive to May 3.

He also dealt with a strained oblique muscle earlier this season and did not make his Blue Jays debut until April 28. In all, he has played just four games and is yet to be in the lineup as anything but a designated hitter because of the health concerns.

To Toronto's credit, it was still 15-14 and in third place in the American League East entering play Thursday. It is just 2.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox and figures to be all the more dangerous when Springer returns.

The three-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger and 2017 World Series MVP represented one of the biggest signings of the offseason and is expected to add even more pop to a lineup that already features Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette.

He flashed his potential in that Blue Jays lineup when he launched two home runs in a win over the Atlanta Braves in one of the four games he has played this season.

Unfortunately for Toronto, it seems like it will have to continue treading water without him in the immediate future.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced Wednesday they're planning to stage home games at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York, beginning June 1.

The Blue Jays have been playing games at their spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida. According to Sportsnet's Shi Davidi, the franchise was hopeful of returning to Toronto, but that remains unfeasible amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Blue Jays renovated Sahlen Field to make it more suitable for MLB games. Beyond cosmetic changes, updates to the weight room and clubhouse were on the list of alterations.

Those renovations have also forced the Buffalo Bisons to open the 2021 Triple-A season in Trenton, New Jersey.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced in March the state was allowing professional sports teams to fill up to 20 percent of the capacity of outdoor stadiums. That number has since risen to 33 percent beginning May 19 with more New Yorkers receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Blue Jays sit fourth in the American League East at 14-14, though their plus-19 run differential is second in the division and fourth-best in the AL. Returning to Buffalo could prove beneficial since it will cut down slightly on travel to the majority of its division rivals.

The Jays begin a 10-game homestand Friday, May 14, which will be their final series in Dunedin before their move north.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. set an MLB record on Tuesday, becoming the youngest player to hit three home runs and log seven RBI in one game. 

Guerrero, who turned 22 on March 16, was almost solely responsible for the Blue Jays' run total as they battled the Washington Nationals with a 9-5 lead in the bottom of the eighth.

He got things going with a grand slam in the bottom of the third, putting the Blue Jays up 4-3.

The hit snapped a streak of 17 scoreless innings for Nationals starter Max Scherzer. 

But the onslaught wasn't over. Guerrero launched a solo shot in the bottom of fifth to increase the distance to 7-3, then logged a two-run shot in the bottom of the seventh. 

The first baseman now has seven home runs on the season, putting him one off the league lead that is currently held by Ronald Acuna and Rhys Hoskins. He launched nine in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign and had 15 as a rookie through 123 games in 2019. 

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer will have to wait longer to make his 2021 debut for his new team.

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Springer is awaiting the results of an MRI on a quadriceps injury. He started the season on the injured list with a strained left oblique muscle but was perhaps going to play Thursday prior to the quad setback.

The 31-year-old joined the Blue Jays on a six-year, $150 million deal during the offseason, ending his seven-year Houston career. The three-time All-Star helped the Astros win two American League pennants and the 2017 World Series.

Springer won the World Series MVP in 2017 after hitting .379 with five home runs in a seven-game series win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Connecticut native was an excellent power hitter by the time his Houston tenure ended, as he smacked 53 homers in 173 regular-season games over the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He added eight more dingers during the 2019 and 2020 playoffs, continuing his dominance over a postseason career that includes 19 homers.

He signed as a free agent with the Blue Jays on Jan. 23 but started the regular season on the 10-day injured list with the Grade 2 oblique strain.

Randal Grichuk has replaced Springer in the lineup in his absence and figures to do so again, forming an outfield with Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer will begin the regular season in the injured list. 

Manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters on Wednesday that Springer will be placed on the injured list with a Grade 2 strain of his left oblique. 

Springer hasn't played in a game since March 21 and only appeared in 10 games throughout spring training. 

Montoyo told reporters last week that Springer had progressed to hitting off of a tee, but they were still taking a day-to-day approach with him before making a final determination about his status for the season opener. 

The 31-year-old Springer is a key part of the Toronto lineup, as the three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger award winner signed a six-year contract with the Blue Jays during the offseason.

Springer spent his first seven MLB seasons with the Houston Astros, and he was a big factor again last season, hitting .265 with 14 home runs and 32 RBI during the COVID-shortened campaign.

Entering last season, Springer hit 29 or more home runs in three of the previous four seasons. The 2019 season was unquestionably Springer's best as an MLB player, as he hit .292 with a career-high 39 homers and 96 RBI. Springer also scored 96 runs, marking the fourth consecutive season in which he scored at least that many.

The Blue Jays are stacked with young offensive talent, but they needed a veteran with championship experience to tie it all together, and Springer undoubtedly fits the profile, as he was the 2017 World Series MVP.

With Springer in the fold, the Blue Jays' young stars now have an example to strive toward on a daily basis.

For as long as Springer is out, the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, Teoscar Hernandez, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and others must step up and anchor the Toronto offense.

In terms of who will replace Springer, veteran Randal Grichuk could see additional time in center field, while Jonathan Davis may find himself in the lineup more often as well.

The Blue Jays will play the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the 2021 season opener on Thursday afternoon. 

If you're looking for any weight-loss tips, Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is apparently the man to see.

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Guerrero said he's not only down 42 pounds this offseason but also that shedding the weight was "fun" and "wasn't difficult."

The Blue Jays list the 21-year-old at 6'2" and 250 pounds, so he might be looking a lot different when he takes the field in 2021.

Given how highly touted he was coming out of the minors, Guerrero didn't quite reach the heights you would've expected in his second MLB season. He finished with nine home runs, 33 RBI and a .791 OPS in 2020, per Baseball Reference.

A player saying he's in the "best shape of his life" is one of the most common tropes in spring training. It feels a little different when the player in question was once a top prospect who's still in his early 20s.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced Thursday they're going to play all home games through at least May 2 at TD Ballpark, their spring training complex in Dunedin, Florida, because of ongoing COVID-19 restrictions limiting travel between the United States and Canada.

Toronto played most of its 2020 home schedule at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York.

The Canadian government eliminated all non-essential travel into its country and restricted those entering to Canadian citizens and residents and foreign nationals who meet eligibility requirements. Everyone must produce a negative COVID-19 test before entry.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau added to the guidelines in late January, saying those who entered the country must also embark on a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

"Those with negative test results will then be able to quarantine at home under significantly increased surveillance and enforcement," Trudeau said.

The restrictions led the NHL, which features seven Canadian franchises, to create a Canada-only division for its 2021 season. Those teams only face each other to prevent travel between countries.

Meanwhile, MLB and the NBA only have one team apiece in Canada and both are based in Toronto (the Blue Jays and Raptors).

The Raptors announced last week they will play the remainder of their 2020-21 season at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Florida. They'd previously kept open the possibility of a return to Canada for the second half of the season.

Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News reported the Blue Jays will evaluate their options as May moves closer, and, if a return to Rogers Centre isn't available, the team may consider relocating to Buffalo for a second straight year, though there would be logistical issues with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons set to resume play.

TD Ballpark has a maximum capacity of 8,500 compared to 16,600 in Buffalo and nearly 50,000 in Toronto, though sports attendance remains limited or nonexistent depending on local coronavirus guidelines.

With pandemic-induced restrictions still in place on the U.S.-Canada border, the Toronto Blue Jays are flying south for the spring.  

According to Shi Davidi and Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, MLB's only Canada-based team will begin the 2021 season at its spring training ballpark in Dunedin, Florida.

The Blue Jays were forced to spend the shortened 2020 campaign in Buffalo, New York, at the home of their Triple-A affiliate, due to border restrictions.

At least two homestands are affected by the decision: April 8-14 against the Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees and April 27-May 2 against the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves, per Davidi and Nicholson-Smith. 

A third homestand, May 14-24, is pending "in the hopes the border opens up and allow for a return" to Toronto.

The team is planning to have fans in the stands for spring training games in Florida at 15 percent capacity (about 1,275), but plans for the regular season have yet to be announced. Fans attending spring training games will be allowed to do so in pods of two or four seats with face coverings and symptom screening required.

In the move to Florida, the Blue Jays will follow the lead of the NBA's Toronto Raptors, who have been playing in Tampa. The Toronto Maple Leafs have been able to stay in Canada due to the NHL's new divisions, which pit all seven of the league's Canadian-based teams against each other during the regular season. 

Yadier Molina is expected to return to the St. Louis Cardinals, but the Toronto Blue Jays aren't giving up their pursuit of the nine-time All-Star. 

Per MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the Blue Jays "have been in contact" with Molina. 

Heyman noted a "couple other teams," including Toronto, are still in play for the veteran catcher. 

MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported last Friday that Molina is expected to sign a one-year contract with the Cardinals after the Caribbean Series wraps up. 

Molina is playing for the Puerto Rican squad in the series, which is scheduled to end Feb. 6. 

A number of MLB teams have been connected to Molina throughout the offseason. 

In a Spanish-language interview on Mas Que Pelota with Laura Bonnelly (h/t MLB insider Hector Gomez) that took place in November, Molina said the New York Yankees, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Angels "have shown interest," but his preference is to stay with the Cardinals. 

There did seem to be a potential opening in December for Molina to leave St. Louis when Mark Saxon of The Athletic reported the 38-year-old turned down an offer his camp called "ridiculous." 

Catcher is one of the few unsettled positions for the Blue Jays heading into this season. Danny Jansen is the incumbent starter, but he has hit .201/.288/.360 over the past two years. 

Molina has spent his entire career with the Cardinals after being a fourth-round draft pick in 2000. He has won nine Gold Glove awards and has a .281/.333/.404 slash line in 17 MLB seasons.