Kazuma Okamoto made a good first impression.
So good, that the Toronto Blue Jays third baseman was bumped to the cleanup spot in the batting order for his second career game on Saturday against the Athletics (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+, 3 p.m. ET / noon PT).
Okamoto, who signed a four-year, $60-million contract with the reigning AL champions in the off-season, went 2-for-3 with a walk in his MLB debut on Friday while also scoring the winning run.
Now, he’ll bat behind franchise first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Meanwhile, left fielder Davis Schneider is set for his season debut as he slots in the two-hole behind George Springer against Athletics left-hander Jeffrey Springs.
Right fielder Myles Straw, who entered Friday as a defensive replacement, should get his first plate appearance of the season in the No. 8 spot.
Starter Dylan Cease will make his Blue Jays debut after signing a seven-year, $210-million deal as a free agent — the largest in franchise history.
Cease, the 30-year-old right-hander, allowed just one run over 9.2 spring-training innings while striking out 12. He had a 4.55 ERA over 32 starts for the San Diego Padres last season.
Opposing him on the mound is Springs, who recorded a 4.65 ERA and 138 strikeouts over 171 innings last season.
The Blue Jays torched Springs for six runs in just two innings in a May game last season, though he rebounded with a quality start against Toronto in July.
