The Toronto Blue Jays are still waiting for George Springer to rebound and show some of the strong production he brought last season, but one MLB analyst warns that he may never be able to return to his 2025 peak.
Springer has been dealing with a toe injury that has blunted his impact this season, playing through pain after missing some time in April. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden believes that Springer will rebound as the toe heals, but warns that he may never again regain the level of production he saw in 2025.
George Springer’s Rebound May Have a Ceiling
In a breakdown of the MLB’s struggling stars, Bowden noted that Springer’s injury is the likely cause of his downturn this season. Springer is hitting just .186 with a .566 OPS this season, hitting only two home runs and eight RBIs.
Though Bowden believes Springer will rebound as he gets healthier, he added that the Blue Jays won’t be able to count on 2025 levels of production.
“Even though he’s now 36 and age-related data says he should be declining, I think when the toe heals he’ll see his numbers improve significantly,” Bowden wrote. “That said, we should expect some regression after last year’s banner season and it is possible that even though Springer performed at a high level last season, he could be headed for a decline given his age and the accumulation of his many injuries.”
Springer slashed .309/.399/.560 with 32 home runs and 84 RBIs last season, a driving force behind the team’s run to the World Series. Bowden wrote that the Blue Jays may not see that level of output from Springer again.
“He’s also still managing the pain as the toe heals,” Bowden wrote. “His power numbers have suffered as a result, as he’s seen a significant drop in his average exit velocity and Barrel rate, among other metrics, from last year to this year (though it should be noted those metrics are more inline with what he was producing in 2024 and 2023).”
The Blue Jays came into the 2026 season with greater pressure on Springer after a series of offseason departures. Homegrown star Bo Bichette left to sign a three-year, $126 million deal with the New York Mets. Isiah Kiner-Falefa also signed with the Boston Red Sox and Ty France left to join the San Diego Padres.
The departures left the Blue Jays with a difficult task as they looked to return to the World Series while navigating one of the most competitive divisions in the league.
George Springer Rebounds in Big Win Over Yankees
Springer may have already sparked a turnaround with a big performance in the team’s win over the New York Yankees on May 21. He connected on a home run, his fourth of the season, in the 2-0 victory.
After the game, Springer said it was bigger than just himself as he tried to break out of the slump.
“I do it for the boys,” Springer told reporters after the game. “I do it for the fans. I owe it to everybody to be better and to play better, and I will.”
Blue Jays Face Dire Warning on George Springer Amid Slump