Ernie Clement Not Assured of Blue Jays Second Base Job Entering 2027
Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said that infielder Ernie Clement "will have to earn" the team's starting second base job in 2027, per Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. After being one of the heroes of Toronto's run to a World Series appearance in 2025, Clement's numbers regressed in 2026. Across 621 plate appearances this past season, the 30-year-old hit .259/.285/.364 with nine home runs, 48 RBI, 60 runs scored, and seven stolen bases. Perhaps most concerningly for Toronto, his defensive metrics plummeted after he graded out as a plus defender in 2025. Clement rarely strikes out (9.3% strikeout rate) and can line up all over the diamond, which makes him a valuable piece for the Blue Jays. However, the 30-year-old may be best suited for a utility role in Toronto going forward.
Source: The Athletic - Mitch Bannon
Source: The Athletic - Mitch Bannon
Sean Keys Recalled from Triple-A After Strong August
Toronto Blue Jays corner infield/outfield prospect Sean Keys was rewarded with a call-up on the first day of September after raking at the plate over the better part of the last month. The Jays' sixth-ranked prospect hit .408 over his last 18 games before the promotion, including four doubles, two triples, and six home runs, which was good for a 1.281 OPS during that time. The former fourth-rounder debuted with Toronto in late June, but wasn't able to do much with his limited opportunities, going 6-for-36 (.167), although two of the six hits went for extra bases (one double, one home run). The left-handed hitter predominantly plays the corner infield spots, but manned left field in three of his last four games before the call-up, so that position is an option as well; however, he was absent from Toronto's lineup on Tuesday night, so it remains to be seen where he might play and how regular the at-bats will be. Fantasy managers can take a wait-and-see approach with Keys before deciding to snag him off the waiver wire.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Sean Keys Could Make Return Appearance with Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays corner infield prospect Sean Keys is having a nice month of August at Triple-A Buffalo and could make a return appearance in Toronto before the season is over. Keys had a stint with the Blue Jays earlier in the season and could be called back up based on his strong August, which has seen him hit .360 with six homers and 23 RBI with 20 runs scored in 89 at bats. With the Blue Jays, Keys was 6-for-36 with one homer and five RBI. Keys is the No. 6 prospect for the Blue Jays with 55-grade power and a 45-grade hit tool. The power that Keys has shown between two levels of the minors this season is encouraging as he has 27 homers and 78 RBI in 351 at bats. That type of power could play for the Blue Jays late this season and could also be helpful to fantasy managers in redraft leagues.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Sean Keys Doing his Best to Get Another Opportunity in the Big Leagues
Toronto Blue Jays corner-infield prospect Sean Keys did little when he debuted in Toronto earlier this season, but has hit nicely between two levels of the minors in 2026. Between Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Buffalo, Keys has 27 homers with 75 RBI while hitting a combined .293 with 72 runs scored. Keys got the call for 12 games with the Blue Jays and hit one homer with five RBI and a .167 batting average. Keys was just 6-for-36 in his debut stint and was sent back down to Buffalo. He's coming off a recent two-homer game for Buffalo and has six homers and 20 RBI in the month of August at Triple-A. So he is doing everything he can to prove himself ready for another shot with Toronto. The Blue Jays could use the power of Keys at the major league level, so fantasy managers will want to pay attention for news of another call-up.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Kazuma Okamoto Scratched From Lineup With Knee Contusion
Toronto Blue Jays corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto (knee) was scratched from Tuesday's starting lineup against the division-rival Boston Red Sox with a left-knee contusion, according to the team. Charles McAdoo will now start at third base for Toronto and bat leadoff against Red Sox left-hander Patrick Sandoval at the Rogers Centre. For now, Okamoto should be considered day-to-day as he deals with what appears to be more of a minor knee injury. Fantasy managers should check back on Wednesday to see if he's good to go. Okamoto has really struggled at the plate since the All-Star break, batting .170 (15-for-88) with a .488 OPS, two home runs, three doubles, eight RBI, 11 runs scored, a stolen base, four walks, and 30 strikeouts in 23 games and 93 plate appearances. The Japanese native's power has been useful for fantasy managers in his first year in the big leagues, but the swing-and-miss issues have really surfaced so far in the second half of the season, making him a liability in the average and on-base-percentage departments.
Source: Toronto Blue Jays
Source: Toronto Blue Jays
Kazuma Okamoto Back in Blue Jays' Lineup on Tuesday
Toronto Blue Jays corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto (knee) is starting at third base and batting seventh on Tuesday for the team's matchup against the division-rival Boston Red Sox and left-hander Patrick Sandoval, per MLB.com. The Blue Jays held Okamoto out for Monday's series opener at the Rogers Centre with a contusion on his left knee, but it wasn't a serious injury, and he'll return a day later. The 30-year-old Japanese native has been a great source of power from the right side in his first year in the big leagues, hitting 24 home runs and driving in 70 in 427 at-bats, but he's striking out over 30% of the time and sports a weak .225 batting average and .299 on-base percentage. Okamoto has hit just .217 (23-for-106) against left-handed pitchers, with five of his 24 home runs on the year. He is 1-for-3 in his career against Sandoval and will have a lower fantasy ceiling in the seven-hole in his return to Toronto's starting nine for Game 2 of the series.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Kazuma Okamoto Scratched With Knee Contusion
Toronto Blue Jays corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto (knee) was scratched from Monday's starting lineup against the division-rival Boston Red Sox due to a left-knee contusion, according to the team. After being called up from Triple-A Buffalo, Charles McAdoo will start at third base for Toronto and bat seventh against Red Sox veteran right-hander Sonny Gray. It doesn't sound like Okamoto's knee injury is all that serious, so hopefully he can avoid going on the injured list. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Tuesday to see if he's active for Game 2 of the series in Toronto. Overall, it's been a very strong first year in the big leagues for Okamoto, who comes into Monday's series opener hitting .225/.299/.429 with a .728 OPS, 24 home runs, 70 RBI, 61 runs, and a stolen base across his 116 games and 475 plate appearances. The 30-year-old Japanese right-handed slugger has a strikeout rate over 30%, though, and has been swinging and missing more in the second half of the season. Still, he leads Toronto in homers, RBI, and runs scored, and remains a must-start in most fantasy baseball leagues when he's in the lineup.
Source: Toronto Blue Jays
Source: Toronto Blue Jays
Addison Barger Still Not Doing Baseball Activities
Toronto Blue Jays third baseman/outfielder Addison Barger (back, elbow) is still hoping to return this season, but he's currently still not doing any baseball activities, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. Per manager John Schneider, August is a best-case scenario for Barger's return from the 10-day injured list. It's been a lost season for the 26-year-old left-handed hitter, as he's appeared in only nine games for Toronto due to ankle, back, and elbow injuries. At this point, it's extremely hard to recommend holding the former sixth-rounder in 2018 in even deep-mixed fantasy leagues. Barger has gone 1-for-22 at the plate with two RBI, five walks, and five strikeouts in his nine games earlier this season after slashing .243/.301/.454 with a .756 OPS, 21 home runs, 74 RBI, 61 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 135 regular-season games in 2025 in his first full year in the big leagues. He's only rostered in 18% of Yahoo leagues at the moment and doesn't have a clear timetable for a return in the second half of the season.
Source: Sportsnet - Ben Nicholson-Smith
Source: Sportsnet - Ben Nicholson-Smith
JoJo Parker Showing Off Power and Speed at Single-A
Toronto Blue Jays infield prospect JoJo Parker is performing admirably in his first taste of professional baseball, slashing .242/.381/.426 with nine home runs and 21 stolen bases through 72 games at Single-A Dunedin. The Jays' top-ranked prospect was particularly hot from mid to late June, which included a four-hit game and five home runs over a nine-game stretch, but was just 1-for-19 (.053) in the five games before the break. The former first-rounder even got to participate in the All-Star Futures game earlier this week, going 1-for-2 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored for the American League squad. Already MLB's No. 27 prospect overall, the 19-year-old is still a couple of years away from the majors, but his above-average hit and power tools make for a strong asset in dynasty leagues.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Sean Keys' Elite Power Metrics Make Him a Buy-Low Stash
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Sean Keys has struggled to find consistent production in limited opportunities during his first MLB season, but his underlying power metrics suggest significant upside. The 24-year-old is slashing .207/.207/.345 with a .552 OPS across eight games while carrying a 37.9 K%. Despite the early struggles, Keys has displayed elite contact quality with a 93.1 mph average exit velocity and a 61.1 Hard-Hit% that both rank among the best in the league. His ability to consistently drive the ball with authority gives him a strong foundation for future success. If Keys can improve his contact rate against major league pitching, he could develop into a valuable power option. Fantasy managers should view him as a buy-low stash with long-term upside.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Addison Barger Suffers Setback, Will Be Shut Down for Multiple Weeks
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that outfielder/third baseman Addison Barger (elbow, back) suffered a stress reaction in his back and will be shut down for a couple of weeks, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Barger was working his way back from an elbow injury that has sidelined him since early May, but it appears he will remain on the shelf through the All-Star break at the least. It's been a nightmarish season so far for Barger, who also missed time earlier in the year with an ankle issue and has logged just 28 MLB plate appearances in 2026. The 26-year-old emerged as a quality big-side platoon bat in 2025, hitting .243 with 21 home runs across 502 plate appearances. Without him, Toronto will likely continue to rely on Nathan Lukes and Yohendrick Pinango as their primary corner outfielders.
Source: Sportsnet - Shi Davidi
Source: Sportsnet - Shi Davidi
Blue Jays to Call Up Sean Keys, a Top Waiver Target Ahead of Debut?
The Toronto Blue Jays are promoting infield prospect Sean Keys to the big leagues, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. Keys opened the 2026 season at Double-A and mashed, hitting .285 with 14 home runs across 209 plate appearances. He was promoted to Triple-A in early June and has continued to rake, slashing .284/.409/.619 with seven home runs, 20 RBI, 12 runs scored, and one stolen base across 77 plate appearances. Keys is a left-handed hitter with experience at both corner infield spots, but the Blue Jays have first and third base covered between Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Kazuma Okamoto. While his uncertain playing time outlook could limit Keys' fantasy production, it seems unlikely that Toronto would promote the 23-year-old without a plan to get him in the lineup on a somewhat consistent basis. In deeper leagues, Keys could be a worthy waiver wire target for fantasy managers.
Source: MLB.com - Keegan Matheson
Source: MLB.com - Keegan Matheson
Kazuma Okamoto a Prime Sell-High Candidate?
Across 324 plate appearances in 2026, Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto has hit .241/.324/.469 with 18 home runs, 51 RBI, and 42 runs scored. Okamoto was hitting just .214 through the end of May, but he's surged to a .306/.378/.569 slash line in June. The 30-year-old's power metrics for the season overall are excellent, as he's logged a 14.8% barrel rate and a 50% hard-hit rate. While Okamoto's power looks legit, his batting average improvement this month may be a bit of a mirage. Okamoto owns an elevated 31.5% strikeout rate for the season, and his xBA remains an uninspiring .222. Between swing-and-miss concerns and his lack of speed, Okamoto may ultimately profile as a power-only contributor for fantasy managers. With his value surging during his hot month, Okamoto could be a sell-high candidate for the right price.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Ernie Clement Draws Back into Blue Jays Lineup on Thursday
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement (hip) is starting at shortstop and is batting second for Toronto in Thursday's contest against the visiting Texas Rangers and left-hander MacKenzie Gore, according to MLB.com. Clement missed the last two games for the Jays with soreness in his left hip, and he also missed a few games last weekend with the same issue. He's feeling better now, though, and will return to the field for Thursday's series opener against Texas. Fantasy managers may want to continue to sit Clement, who has hit a cold spell at the plate recently, going 2-for-19 (.105) with a run scored, one walk, and four strikeouts in his last six games. The 30-year-old utility infielder has slashed .292/.313/.437 this year with a .750 OPS, seven home runs, 28 RBI, 35 runs scored, and two stolen bases in his 295 at-bats. Clement lacks power and speed, but his high contact rate and multi-position eligibility make him an asset in fantasy for depth. In seven career at-bats against Gore, Clement has one RBI, a .143 average, and a .365 OPS.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Addison Barger Still Worth Stashing Despite Slow Recovery?
Toronto Blue Jays third baseman/outfielder Addison Barger (elbow) will fly to Toronto to get checked out by the Blue Jays' medical staff before beginning a rehab assignment, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. Barger was originally scheduled to begin a rehab assignment on Thursday, but Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Barger's been experiencing soreness in his injured right elbow. It's been a lost season so far for the 26-year-old, who has logged just 28 MLB plate appearances in 2026 due to elbow and ankle issues. Barger was a key piece of Toronto's lineup against right-handed pitching in 2025, hitting .243/.301/.454 with 21 home runs, 74 RBI, 64 runs scored, and four stolen bases across 502 plate appearances. He could be worth stashing off the waiver wire ahead of his return, but fantasy managers should monitor to make sure he is still cleared to begin a rehab assignment following his meeting with the Blue Jays' medical team.
Source: MLB.com - Keegan Matheson
Source: MLB.com - Keegan Matheson
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