Merrifield (quadriceps) will start at second base and bat leadoff in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.
Merrifield will rejoin the spring lineup for the first time since last Thursday after a minor right quad injury prompted the Blue Jays to hold him out for a few days. Though he'll be leading off Tuesday, Merrifield will most likely find himself in the bottom half of the batting order during the regular season, at which time George Springer is expected to serve as Toronto's primary table setter.
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Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: Sidelined with quad tightness
Rotowire
Merrifield has been out of Grapefruit League games since Friday due to right quad tightness, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Zwelling reports that the injury is considered minor, and the Blue Jays are being extra cautious. The long-time Royal did go through a full workout on Saturday, and he told reporters that he has more than enough time remaining in Florida to be ready for the regular season. It's an injury to keep an eye on for fantasy managers considering Merrifield for the 2023 campaign, but it appears that he's avoided a serious knock and should be ready for Opening Day.
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Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: Exits after pitch hits head
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Merrifield left Saturday's game against Seattle after taking a pitch off his helmet, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.
Merrifield initially stayed in the game to run the bases but was replaced by Raimel Tapia when the Blue Jays took the field. The fact that the team was leading by seven runs and inserted one of its better outfield defenders suggests that the move may have been at least somewhat tactical rather than purely injury-related.
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Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: Takes seat for Game 2 of twin bill
Rotowire
Merrifield is out of the lineup for the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Orioles.
Merrifield will take a seat after starting each of the last 13 games, including the Blue Jays' 5-4 loss in Game 1 of the twin bill. He went 1-for-5 in the early game to finish the regular season with a .251/.299/.376 slash line across 548 plate appearances. Otto Lopez will replace Merrifield at second base in Game 2.
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Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: Three more hits Monday
Rotowire
Merrifield went 3-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI in Monday's 5-1 win over the Orioles.
All three hits were singles, and he was caught stealing, but it was still another productive night for Merrifield. The 33-year-old has three three-hit performances in the last four games, and over his last 12 contests he's slashing a blistering .463/.477/.854 with four doubles, four homers, 10 runs and 11 RBI.
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Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: Catching fire late in season
Rotowire
Merrifield went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, two RBI and an additional run in Sunday's 6-3 win over the Red Sox.
Since being acquired Aug. 2 from the Royals, Merrifield has largely served as a utility player for the Blue Jays, but the hot bat he's shown of late likely has him in line to handle an everyday role at second base once the postseason begins. Heading into the Blue Jays' final series of the regular season against the Orioles that begins Monday, Merrifield is riding a six-game hit streak and has reached base in all but one of his last 11 contests. During that 11-game stretch, Merrifield is slashing .421/.439/.842 with four home runs, four doubles, nine RBI and nine runs.
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Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: Reclaims full-time role
Rotowire
Merrifield will start at second base and bat ninth in Monday's game against the Yankees.
Since coming over in an Aug. 2 deadline deal with the Royals, Merrifield has largely served as a reserve infielder and outfielder, but Santiago Espinal's (oblique) recent move to the injured list has reopened an everyday role for the 33-year-old. Merrifield has made the most of the opportunity thus far, going 6-for-18 with three home runs, two doubles and a walk while scoring four times and driving in six over his last five starts. If he continues to rake as the season winds down, Merrifield could stick around as the Blue Jays' top second baseman even once Espinal is activated.
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Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: Slugs in important win
Rotowire
Merrifield went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, three RBI and a run scored in Saturday's win over Tampa Bay.
Merrifield blasted a three-run bomb off lefty reliever Brooks Raley with one out in the seventh inning to give the Blue Jays a three-run lead. He's gone 6-for-14 during his last four games with two doubles and three home runs and appears to have cemented himself as the Blue Jays' primary second baseman while Santiago Espinal (oblique) is on the injured list.
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Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: Goes yard twice
Rotowire
Merrifield went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in Thursday's loss against the Rays.
After Teoscar Hernandez led off the second inning with a homer, Merrifield came up two batters later and crushed a solo shot of his own to tie the game at 3-3. The second baseman then crushed a two-run homer in the ninth, though the game had already gotten away from the Blue Jays by that point. Merrifield hasn't gotten a whole lot of playing time recently, though he is 5-for-14 (.357) in his last 16 plate appearances with two homers, five RBI, and four runs scored while also drawing two walks in that span.
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Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: Losing work to Jackie Bradley
Rotowire
Merrifield is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Red Sox.
Even though George Springer hasn't played the outfield since late July, Merrifield hasn't been able to gain traction as the Blue Jays' everyday option in center field. Jackie Bradley seems to have emerged as the team's preferred center fielder at the moment, as he'll occupy the position for the third straight contest. Until Springer is ready to play center field again while he works past a knee injury, the lefty-hitting Bradley and righty-hitting Merrifield could form a platoon at the position.
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Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: Hits first homer with new team
Rotowire
Merrifield went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and two walks during Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Yankees.
Merrifield has been in the strong side of a platoon since being traded to the Blue Jays in early August, and he's gotten off to a slow start at the plate with his new team. Since the trade, the 33-year-old has hit .250 with a homer, six runs, two RBI and a stolen base. Merrifield will likely have to settle for occasional days off as long as Santiago Espinal and George Springer remain healthy.
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Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: Remains out of lineup
Rotowire
Merrifield isn't starting Wednesday against the Orioles.
Merrifield went 2-for-8 with a strikeout over his last two games but will retreat to the bench for the third time in the last five matchups. Santiago Espinal is starting at the keystone and batting eighth.
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Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: On bench Tuesday
Rotowire
Merrifield isn't in the lineup Tuesday against Baltimore.
It will be difficult to fit both Merrifield and Santiago Espinal, who's playing second base Tuesday, in the lineup every day now that George Springer's back in action. Merrifield has hit .250 with one RBI and one stolen base in nine games since joining the Blue Jays at the deadline.
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Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: Not starting Saturday
Rotowire
Merrifield isn't starting Saturday against the Guardians.
Merrifield will get a day off after he went 1-for-10 with a walk and two strikeouts over the last three games. Raimel Tapia is staring in center field while Santiago Espinal starts at second base.
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Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: Sits Wednesday
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Merrifield is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles, Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star reports.
Toronto will roll out an outfield of Lourdes Gurriel, Raimel Tapia and Teoscar Hernandez for the series finale while Merrifield heads to the bench after two straight starts. Since being acquired from the Royals on Aug. 2, Merrifield has gone 6-for-21 (.286 average) with three runs, an RBI and a stolen base through his first six games with the Blue Jays.
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Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: Heads to bench Sunday
Rotowire
Merrifield is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins.
Merrifield has seen each of his first three starts with the Blue Jays in center field, and he should serve as the team's primary option at the position for at least the next week after George Springer (elbow) went on the injured list Saturday. However, Raimel Tapia will get the nod in center field Sunday in place of Merrifield, who has gotten off to a 5-for-13 start to his Blue Jays career while adding two runs, one RBI and one stolen base.
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Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: Logs first steal with new team
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Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Saturday's 7-3 loss to the Twins.
Merrifield has opened his career with the Blue Jays by going 5-for-13 in his first three games, though he's also struck out six times. His steal Saturday was his first with his new team and his 16th in 19 attempts this year. He owns a .245/.293/.354 slash line with six home runs, 43 RBI and 53 runs scored in 98 contests, though he's hit in the bottom half of Toronto's order since his debut -- on the bright side that could lead to more RBI chances than he saw atop the Royals' lineup prior to the trade deadline. With George Springer (elbow) going on the injured list Saturday, Merrifield figures to be a near-everyday starter in center field.
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Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: Gets vaccinated, making team debut
Rotowire
Merrifield, who is batting eighth and starting in center field Thursday at Minnesota, told reporters he has been vaccinated and will be able to travel with the Blue Jays when the team returns to Canada, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
The 33-year-old will start in center field in his first game with the Blue Jays while George Springer (elbow) serves as the designated hitter, but the former should be expected to see most of his playing time at the keystone. Merrifield was unable to travel with the Royals for the four-game series in Toronto just before the All-Star break, but he's since been vaccinated and will be able to enter Canada when the team returns for a six-game homestand next Friday. He has a .240/.290/.352 slash line with six home runs, 42 RBI and 15 stolen bases through 95 games this season.
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Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: Joining new team Thursday
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Merrifield is expected to join the Blue Jays on Thursday for a series in Minneapolis, but his vaccination status and ability to enter Canada for the team's next homestand remains unclear, Gregor Chisholm of The Toronto Star reports. "Obviously we know he wasn't there in Toronto, but totally up to him [whether he gets vaccinated] and I'm sure he's had conversations with his family and other people," Jays manager John Schneider said Wednesday. "We're leaving that decision up to him."
The former Royal missed a series in Toronto just before the All-Star break due to his inability to cross the border, but Merrifield made comments afterward suggesting he would get vaccinated if he were playing for a team in playoff contention. That's now the case after he was dealt to the Jays at the trade deadline, but it remains to be seen if he's changed his mind about getting vaccinated. Merrifield has a career-low .642 OPS through 95 games this season, but a move to a competitive team and having a more potent offense around him could spark his bat to life down the stretch.
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Blue Jays' Whit Merrifield: Not in Wednesday's lineup
Rotowire
Merrifield isn't starting Wednesday against the Rays.
Merrifield was traded from the Royals to the Blue Jays on Tuesday but won't make his team debut during Wednesday's series finale in Tampa Bay. Santiago Espinal is starting at the keystone and batting eighth.
