George Springer, one of the Toronto Blue Jays’ most potent offensive weapons, left Game 5 of the American League Championship Series after he was struck on the right knee by a Bryan Woo pitch.
He was diagnosed with a right knee contusion and manager John Schneider said X-rays were negative, and he expects Springer in the Game 6 lineup Oct. 19.
But Schneider expressed disgust at the T-Mobile Park crowd that booed Springer when he attempted to rise to his feet, and when he walked toward first base in his attempt to stay in the game.
‘It’s really cool to play here. (But) I think the fans that were booing him should take a look in the mirror and understand what kind of player he is and … I’ll stop there,’ Schneider said in an emotional, profanity-laden press conference after the Blue Jays blew a one-run, eighth-inning lead and lost Game 5 6-2 on Eugenio Suárez’s grand slam.
‘Because when a guy gets hit in the knee and is in obvious pain and you have 40,000 people cheering – not the right thing to do.’
Springer, who drove in the Blue Jays’ first run with an RBI double in the fifth inning, doubled over in pain immediately after Woo’s 95.6 mph sinker struck him in the knee.
He tried walking to first but could not do so without a severe limp; Joey Loperfido replaced Springer as a pinch runner and assumed his leadoff spot in the lineup at designated hitter.
Springer has 10 hits, three homers and a .917 OPS in Toronto’s postseason run, and led them in WAR (4.8) and OPS (.959) during the regular season.
Springer missed 16 games in August when he was struck in the helmet by a pitch at Baltimore and was placed on the concussion list.
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