The Toronto Blue Jays have been flirting with a true turnaround throughout the 2026 campaign, and with the team finally starting to get healthy, the momentum could be coming. That began on Tuesday as the team started a three-game sweep of the rival Boston Red Sox, and with a weekend series against the Chicago Cubs beginning on Friday, they have an opportunity to get back to .500 on the season.
Ahead of the series opener on the road that sees Kevin Gausman take the mound for Toronto, the team revealed the starting lineup, and with Davis Schneider at second base, many had questions about where their potential All-Star Ernie Clement is.
Ernie Clement out With a Nagging Injury
GettyErnie Clement of the Toronto Blue Jays.
After playing in 74 of the Blue Jays 75 games this season at second base and shortstop, Clement’s absence drew plenty of attention, with some worried this could be yet another injury that the Blue Jays have to deal with.
While it is, Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling has now revealed the nagging issue that has led to Clement’s absence from the lineup, noting that he has been battling left-hip soreness, with the team using this as an opportunity to get him a day off with the team playing for 16 straight days.
Right now, it doesn’t appear to be a major issue, as Clement is going to be available to come into the game later if needed, but given how valuable he has been to the Blue Jays throughout the 2026 season already, getting him a day off now is a much preferred outcome to making the injury worse by forcing him to play through it.
Ernie Clement is Having an All-Star Caliber Season
While the Blue Jays don’t want anyone taken out of the lineup, Clement is arguably the player they’d least want to lose this season, as he has been incredibly valuable for the team as he’s posted a .294 average and a .756 OPS to go along with 7 home runs and 28 RBI. On top of that, he leads the American League in doubles with 20, and given his versatility in the field, he’s one of the more valuable players in baseball right now.
That’s been reflected in All-Star voting, with Clement being one of six Blue Jays that are currently in position to be an All-Star, with all six being either first or second in voting after the first update from Major League Baseball. Not only that, but his 904,702 votes were almost triple that of the second-place vote getter at 2B, with only Yordan Alvarez, Mike Trout and Aaron Judge getting more overall votes in the AL than Clement.
As of right now, it appears as though this injury isn’t anything the Blue Jays have to worry about long-term, as it’s more just an off-day for Clement during a busy part of their schedule to let him get back to 100%, and if they can continue their momentum with a series opening win, expect him to be back in the lineup for a crucial Saturday showdown.
Blue Jays Reveal why All-Star Candidate Ernie Clement out of the Lineup