TORONTO 鈥� The feel-good vibe created by Toronto's homer-happy offence was muted in a flash when Daulton Varsho went down with a hamstring injury on Saturday at Rogers Centre.
The Blue Jays hung on for an 8-7 victory over the Athletics but their concern was with their Gold Glove centre-fielder, who was scheduled to undergo an MRI exam to determine the severity of the issue.
"He gives guys on the mound a lot of confidence to know that there's a guy out there like him who can go get pretty much anything if it stays in the ballpark," said George Springer, who hit two of Toronto's four home runs.
"So (to) lose him will be tough, it would be hard. Again, I hurt for him, our whole staff does, our team will, but you know he'll be back and hopefully he'll be back stronger."
With Toronto up 6-5 at the time, Varsho hit a pitch from right-hander Gunnar Hoglund off the top of the wall in left-centre field.
As he tried to stretch a double into a triple, Varsho grabbed the back of his thigh after rounding second base. He awkwardly hopped his way to third and was tagged out by Max Schuemann, who helped lower him to the dirt.
Varsho was in significant discomfort as training staff came out to assist. He was eventually able to slowly walk off the field on his own.
"It's tough, you know, he plays the game one way," said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. "I think it kind of took the energy out of the game a little bit. George's second homer kind of brought it back to life a little bit. But yeah, it's tough.
"Varsh is about as well-liked (a player) as there is probably in the game. Everyone in there is feeling for him for sure."
The team said Varsho was pulled due to left hamstring discomfort. He was replaced by outfielder Myles Straw.
Addison Barger hit a two-run blast in Toronto's four-run first inning and Bo Bichette added a solo shot in the second to help the Blue Jays (30-28) win their fourth game in a row.
Toronto closer Jeff Hoffman gave up a two-run homer to Brent Rooker in the ninth inning before nailing down his 13th save.
With a runner in scoring position, second baseman Ernie Clement made a diving catch to preserve the win. Nathan Lukes had two RBIs for Toronto and Clement chipped in with two hits and a run.
Tyler Soderstrom hit a three-run homer off Toronto opener Braydon Fisher in the first inning and Canadian Denzel Clarke added a two-run shot in the second.
The Athletics (23-36) have dropped five in a row, 16 of their last 17, and 10 straight road games.
Clarke, a Toronto native, knocked Fisher out of the game with his first career homer. Easton Lucas came on in relief and threw 4 2/3 shutout innings.
The Blue Jays extended their home winning streak to six games and have won eight of their last 12 games overall. Toronto has scored 31 runs over the first three games of the four-game series.
"I mean they're crushing the ball," Lucas said of the team's offence. "It's incredible to watch."
Varsho missed the first few weeks of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery last September to repair his rotator cuff. In 24 games, he has a .207 average with eight homers and 20 RBIs.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2025.
Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
