On October 23, 1993, Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Joe Carter blasted a three-run, walk-off home run at Toronto’s Sky Dome, giving the Jays — who trailed 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth of Game 6 — their second World Series championship in two years.
Since then, more than three decades have passed and the Blue Jays have never returned to the World Series, much less won one — until now.
On Friday, Toronto has an opportunity to win another World Series in the sixth game. The opponent this time is not the Philadelphia Phillies, as it was in 1993, but of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Sky Dome is now called Rogers Centre.
And the Blue Jays will have one of their best and most consistent postseason hitters back in the lineup after missing the previous two games with what the team initially described as “right side discomfort.”
Springer ‘Expected’ To Play Game 6
Blue Jays manager John Schneider confirmed that 36-year-old George Springer is “expected” to return to the Toronto lineup for Game 6, according to USA Today baseball insider Bob Nightengale.
Final confirmation if Springer’s status came Friday afternoon when the Blue Jays released their batting order for Game 6. Springer was listed as the leadoff hitter, in the designated hitter slot.
But in Springer’s first at-bat he took four swings against Dodgers starter Yohsinobu Yamamoto, missing once, fouling off two pitches then finally grounding out to shortstop Mookie Betts. Springer visibly winced after each swing, raising questions about whether he would last the full game without being removed due to his injury once again.
In Springer’s second at-bat, he was spared having to make multiple swings when Yamamoto fell behind 3-0. Springer then swung and connected with a cutter from the Dodgers pitcher, driving the ball to the opposite field and scoring Toronto’s Addison Barger.
Bo Bichette, according to the lineup card, bats fourth and plays second base.
Springer has actually missed the equivalent of three games, because he exited Game 3 in the seventh inning, clutching at his right side and wincing after swinging at the first pitch of the inning from Dodgers’ reliever Justin Wrobleski. That game went on until the 18th inning, meaning that Springer missed 11 innings of Game 3, plus the 18 combined innings in the subsequent two games, both won by Toronto.
Due to Springer’s body language and the fact that he appeared to be experiencing pain in his side due to a swing, the injury was initially feared to be a strained oblique muscle. But the Blue Jays have not confirmed or denied that Springer injured his oblique.
Remarkably Quick Return
If he did, his return to swinging a bat just four days later would be remarkable and extremely unusual. According to sports medicine doctors, an oblique injury can take between four and eight weeks to heal enough to allow a baseball player back on the field.
For comparison, Boston Red Sox rookie sensation Roman Anthony suffered an oblique injury due to a swing on September 2. He never returned and missed the remainder of the regular season as well as Boston’s three-game Wild Card series, which they lost to the New York Yankees.
At age 21, Anthony is 15 years younger than Springer — and has played in 1,465 fewer Major League games — so presumably his healing time should be faster than Springer’s.
Springer Would Face Yamamoto — Again
If Springer is indeed fit to play, the Blue Jays could certainly use him. In Friday’s game the Dodgers are scheduled to start 27-year-old righty Yamamoto, who in the 2025 postseason is justifying the record 12-year, $325 million contract that Dodgers gave him when they signed him away from the Orix Buffaloes of Japan’s Pacific League following the 2023 season.
In Game 2, played in Toronto last Saturday, Yamamoto stifled the powerful Blue Jays lineup with a rare complete game, holding the Jays to just one run on four hits.
Springer had one of those hits, and scored the only Blue Jays run.
George Springer Update: Injured Blue Jays DH Starts Game 6, Will He Finish?