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Less than an hour after he declared that George Springer was "hour to hour and day to day" with an injury to his right side, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider penciled in his lineup for Game 4 of the World Series. Springer was absent. Nathan Lukes will lead off and play left field for the Blue Jays against Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani on Tuesday. More news: Blue Jays Offer Troubling George Springer Update After World Series Game 3 Bo Bichette, not Springer, will be the Blue Jays' designated hitter as they look to even the best-of-seven series against the Los Angeles Dodgers less than 24 hours after losing a marathon 18-inning Game 3. Springer's status for the rest of the series remains to be determined, though Schneider said before the game that the 36-year-old was swinging a bat in an attempt to return to the lineup as soon as possible. Springer suffered the injury in the seventh inning of Monday's game at Dodger Stadium. He was replaced by Ty France. More news: Blue Jays’ Ernie Clement, Released By A’s, Has Message For Former Team The Blue Jays were missing Springer's bat as they failed to score in extra innings en route to a 6-5 loss. He entered the game with a .931 OPS in 13 postseason games for the Blue Jays, the top-seeded team in the American League. Springer is one of the most accomplished postseason performers on either World Series roster. From 2015-20, Springer helped the Houston Astros win the first World Series in franchise history, and capture four consecutive American League pennants. In October, he was annually at his best. In 63 postseason games as an Astro, Springer slashed .269/.349/.546 with 19 home runs and 38 RBIs. More news: More news: Former Dodgers, Mets Infielder Dies Springer signed a six-year, $150 million contract with the Blue Jays in January 2021. Since then, regardless of his level of production in the regular season, he's gained respect as a veteran leader. The Jays finally ended a 22-year World Series drought behind a young nucleus this month. "It's a long season, the longest season in sports," Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage said Tuesday. "Our bodies go through a lot. George, that guy shows up every day at the park to go out there, to beat this team. I'm sure we'll see him again. "I'm just praying he'll be a part of this again. It's a long season."
