As the Toronto Blue Jays wrap up their season-opening four-game set against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, Davis Schneider will make his season debut, batting seventh and playing left field.
With Kevin Gausman making his first start of the 2024 campaign, the Blue Jays are also switching things up defensively.
George Springer will be getting his first game as the team’s designated hitter, so Toronto is moving Justin Turner to third base, Isiah Kiner-Falefa to second and Cavan Biggio to right field.
Rays left-hander Tyler Alexander is expected to pitch the bulk of the innings after righty Shawn Armstrong serves as an opener, so the Blue Jays are sitting Kevin Kiermaier and sliding Daulton Varsho over to centre field, as well.
Turner pinch hit in Saturday’s 5-1 loss before playing the final two innings at third base. He made an error on Jose Caballero’s bunt in the seventh inning.
Kiner-Falefa, who started the first two games of the season at third, played just one inning at second base with the New York Yankees in 2023, but has logged 171.1 career MLB innings at the position.
While Schneider spent the bulk of his time with Toronto playing second base in 2023, he did play 15 innings in left field. He finished his abbreviated rookie campaign with eight home runs and a 1.008 OPS in 116 at-bats. The 24-year-old also fared extremely well against southpaws, posting a .326/.463/.837 slash line in off-handed matchups.
You can watch as Gausman and the Blue Jays look to split the series in Tampa Bay on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+, starting at 1:30 p.m. ET and 10:30 a.m. PT.
