DUNEDIN, Fla.—The Blue Jays are going to take their time before deciding who their leadoff hitter will be this season, but one player under consideration is second baseman Andrés Giménez.
Giménez was acquired with reliever Nick Sandlin in a December trade with the Cleveland Guardians. He’s a curious candidate because most teams prioritize a high on-base percentage from the leadoff position, something Giménez struggled with last season.
The 26-year-old infielder hit .252 with a .298 OBP in 152 games for the Guardians in 2024. That production was even worse than George Springer, the man he might replace atop the order, who put up a .303 OBP in 145 games. Even so, Giménez is in the mix with Springer and rookie Will Wagner to bat first.
“He can navigate an at-bat, makes a ton of contact and can impact the baseball, too,” Jays manager John Schneider said of Giménez. “So, putting that with other guys like Vlad (Guerrero) and Anthony (Santander) in the middle is enticing.
“I like that he is going to work a pitcher, knows when to take his shots. It just gives us a little bit of a different look, and being left-handed is obviously a big plus.”
The Jays are clearly hoping Giménez will revert to the player he was a few years ago in Cleveland, not the guy he was last season. In 2022, Giménez hit .297 with a .371 OBP and 46 extra-base hits. Those numbers would justify such a prominent spot in the order.
Surgery for Macko Â
Jays lefty Adam Macko underwent a scope to repair torn meniscus in his left knee on Wednesday in Cleveland. The 24-year-old pitcher is expected to miss significant time, but the Jays won’t set a timetable until he has recovered from surgery and begins rehab.
The Jays are all in on 2025 with an incomplete roster and no clear direction beyond that.
The Jays are all in on 2025 with an incomplete roster and no clear direction beyond that.
Macko was expected to start at Triple-A Buffalo. He would have been competing with Jake Bloss, Adam Kloffenstein and possibly Easton Lucas to become one of the first pitchers called up.
“You want him to start and keep building on things he’s been getting better at, and give us a viable option,” Schneider said of Macko. “A left-handed arm with strikeout capabilities, big fastball, too. I don’t want to say you’re taking positives out of it — that it’s now as opposed to June or July — but hopefully he gets better soon.”
Spring rotation set
Lucas will start the spring opener on Saturday afternoon against the New York Yankees. The 28-year-old left-hander has spent most of the last four years pitching out of the bullpen, but the Jays appear to be stretching him out to at least become a long relief option, if not a backup starter.
Yariel RodrÃguez will start the Jays’ first road game of the spring on Sunday against the Boston Red Sox, while Bloss is expected to pitch of the bullpen. Bowden Francis will start Monday against the Detroit Tigers, followed by Max Scherzer against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday and José BerrÃos vs. the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.
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