The Toronto Blue Jays kept their resilient season alive with a win against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday and earned the chance to reach the World Series as a result.
Facing a decisive seventh game in the American League Championship Series, the Blue Jays will pull out all the stops to earn the pennant and take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fall classic. And for one player coming off of a scary injury, that will mean leaving it all out on the field.
After taking a fastball on the knee in the fifth game of the series, outfield veteran George Springer returned to the starting lineup on Sunday and was noticeably limping and grimacing during his at-bats. But when asked how he felt following Sunday’s game, Springer offered a clear two-word response on his plans to keep playing through the pain.
“I’m good,” Springer said, according to Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling.
A reporter approached Springer at his locker after Sunday’s game and asked him how he felt.
“That we’re going to Game 7?” Springer asked in response, per Zwelling. “Great. I’ll be in there.”
The Blue Jays slotted Springer in as their designated hitter in the leadoff spot for Sunday’s game and it seems likely he will remain out of a defensive role for Game 7 on Monday as well. He went 0-4 for a strikeout and a walk on Sunday, but his presence might have provided a spark for the Blue Jays hitters, who posted six runs in the win.
Springer enjoyed a resurgent season, slashing .309/.399/.560 on the year, and he has played in 77 playoff games across his career for the Blue Jays and the Houston Astros, including a World Series championship with his former team.
That experience could be a key part of the Blue Jays’ run so far and it seems they can count on his bat for their pivotal matchup against the Mariners, even if his injury is lingering.
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