The Toronto Blue Jays have been steadily improving since the trade deadline, and after a decisive 3-1 win over the New York Yankees on Friday, the team have the chance to get one step closer to .500 on the season when they battle their AL East foes on Saturday.
Things won’t be as easy this time around as they take on Cy Young candidate Cam Schlittler, and with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. out, things get even tougher for a lineup that’s struggled for consistency this year. The last thing fans then wanted to see was another key piece of their lineup out, but now, it’s been revealed that they have made another shock call on Ernie Clement.
Ernie Clement out of the Blue Jays Lineup
GettyErnie Clement of the Toronto Blue Jays.
On Friday, fans were shocked to see that talented infielder Ernie Clement was hitting 9th against the right-handed Gerrit Cole, with the team relying on him to play a key role in the infield throughout the season with very few days off.
However, on Saturday, things may be even more shocking for Blue Jays fans, with the announcement of the lineup revealing that Clement will be out entirely along with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as the team look to go up 2-0 on the Yankees following a hard fought victory on Friday.
B. Bateman CF N. Lukes RF A. Kirk DH J. Sánchez LF K. Okamoto 3B A. Giménez SS B. Valenzuela C J. Smith 2B C. McAdoo 1B
B. Fisher SP
During the series opener, Clement went 1-3 and finished out the game unlike Vlad, so this move came as a big shock to fans, with veteran outfielder/DH George Springer also missing from the Jays lineup. In Clement’s place at second base will be Josh Smith, who was acquired by the team at the trade deadline, and after going 4-18 thus far in his Blue Jays career, they’re hoping that he can provide some spark at the bottom of the lineup.
Can Ernie Clement Find his Form Again?
While Clement has been crucial for the Blue Jays this season, he’s struggling at the plate in the month of August, going 9-50 through 15 games with just one home run and seven RBI, and given that the team are getting contributions elsewhere, they clearly saw this as an opportunity to get him an off day to potentially spark him again.
Despite the struggles, Clement is still hitting .280 on the season along with a .709 OPS, and while those numbers aren’t stellar for a slugger, for a player like Clement with his versatility in the infield, he’s been a consistent contributor throughout the early parts of 2026.
Ultimately, there’s nothing bigger going on here, as the Blue Jays simply want to get Clement a day off ahead of the most important seven weeks of their season, and while it comes against arguably the AL’s Cy Young favorite, the team believe they can get it done regardless as they look to win their sixth straight full series against the rival New York Yankees.
Blue Jays Make Major Call on Ernie Clement After Yankees Win