The Blue Jays optioned Loperfido to Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
Loperfido will yield his spot on the 26-man roster in response to George Springer's (concussion) activation from the injured list. Loperfido had been part of the big-league roster since July 6, slashing .358/.409/.506, but a wealth of talent in the outfield leaves Loperfido as the odd man out.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: Checking back into lineup
Rotowire
Loperfido (knee) will start in left field and bat eighth in Sunday's game against the Dodgers.
Loperfido was limited to a bench role in each of the previous three contests while he managed a bruised right knee, but his ability to make pinch-hitting appearances Friday and Saturday suggested that he was never at any real risk of requiring a stint on the injured list. With the 26-year-old stepping back into the starting nine for the series finale in Los Angeles, Davis Schneider will retreat to the bench.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: Not in Wednesday's lineup
Rotowire
Loperfido (knee) is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game in Colorado.
Loperfido exited Tuesday's 10-4 win after getting hit on the right knee by a pitch. X-rays came back negative, but it's not a surprise that the left-handed-hitting Loperfido will be held out Wednesday, particularly with the Rockies sending southpaw Kyle Freeland to the hill. Loperfido could be ready to play Friday versus the Dodgers after a team off day Thursday. Davis Schneider will start in left field and bat leadoff for the Blue Jays on Wednesday.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: X-rays clean
Rotowire
X-rays on Loperfido's right knee came back negative following Tuesday's victory over the Rockies, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Loperfido made an early exit from Tuesday's game after getting hit on the knee by a pitch. The Jays are officially labeling his injury as a contusion, and the team will determine his availability on a day-to-day basis for now. If the 26-year-old ends up needing to miss a start or two, Davis Schneider and Myles Straw could pick up some extra playing time.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: Exits after HBP
Rotowire
Loperfido was removed from Tuesday's game against the Rockies after getting hit on the knee by a pitch, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Loperfido had to be helped off the field after taking a 98-mph fastball off his right knee in the sixth inning of Tuesday's contest. He will almost certainly head in for X-rays to determine whether he suffered any structural damage, and the Blue Jays should offer an update on his status in the near future. Myles Straw entered the game as Loperfido's replacement in the outfield and may be in line for regular starts if the latter ends up needing to miss time.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: Keeps raking in Coors Field rout
Rotowire
Loperfido went 3-for-6 with two runs scored and an RBI in Monday's win over the Rockies.
All three knocks were singles, but Loperfido still did his share of the damage in a 25-hit, 15-run barrage by the Blue Jays. It's his sixth multi-hit performance in the last 12 games, a stretch in which the 26-year-old is slashing .439/.477/.610 with a double, two homers, four RBI and eight runs. Toronto's outfield is getting crowded with Daulton Varsho back and George Springer (concussion) soon to follow, but Loperfido is making a strong case to maintain a significant role.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: Three more hits in win
Rotowire
Loperfido (thumb) went 3-for-5 with a run scored in Wednesday's win over the Orioles.
Getting the start in right field and batting leadoff against right-hander Dean Kremer, Loperfido proved the thumb issue he picked up during Tuesday's twin bill wasn't a serious concern. The 26-year-old outfielder has produced four multi-hit performances in his last eight games, a stretch in which he's batting .500 (12-for-24) with two solo home runs, a steal and two additional runs scored. The Blue Jays could have a logjam in the outfield once Daulton Varsho (hamstring) comes off the injured this weekend with Loperfido, Nathan Lukes, Davis Schneider and Myles Straw all making contributions at the plate.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: Cleared to start Wednesday
Rotowire
Loperfido (thumb) will start in right field and bat leadoff in Wednesday's game against the Orioles.
During the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader with Baltimore, Loperfido jammed his left thumb on a play at the plate in the fourth inning, though he was able to finish out the contest. The Blue Jays opted to hold him out of the lineup for their 3-2 loss in the second game of the twin bill, but the young outfielder will be ready to go for the series finale. Loperfido has produced a strong 1.017 OPS over 53 plate appearances with Toronto this season, but he could nonetheless be at risk of losing out on a regular role if Daulton Varsho (hamstring) returns from the injured list this weekend as anticipated.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: Swipes first bag of season
Rotowire
Loperfido went 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Friday's 6-2 win over the Tigers.
Getting the start in left field and batting seventh, Loperfido did his part in a balanced Blue Jays 13-hit attack that saw every starter except Will Wagner collect at least one knock. The steal was Loperfido's first in the majors this season in 14 contests, but it might be his last -- with Daulton Varsho (hamstring) closing in on his return, the 26-year-old might be battling with Davis Schneider to avoid getting bumped back to Triple-A Buffalo. Loperfido has made a strong case to stick around, batting .351 (13-for-37) with two homers and seven RBI since his early-July promotion.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: Smacks second homer
Rotowire
Loperfido went 2-for-5 with a solo home run during Thursday's 11-4 win over the Tigers.
Loperfido was one of three Blue Jays to leave the yard Thursday. It was the second time he's homered since being called up to the majors in early July. Since being recalled from Triple-A Buffalo, the outfielder has been hot at the plate, slashing .324/.361/.529 with seven RBI in 34 at-bats.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: On bench versus lefty
Rotowire
Loperfido is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees.
The left-handed-hitting Loperfido had been included in the lineup in both of the previous two contests, but he'll head to the bench Wednesday while southpaw Max Fried toes the rubber for the Yankees. Loperfido will likely see his opportunities to play against right-handed pitching take a hit once Daulton Varsho (hamstring) potentially returns from the injured list later this week.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: On base three times in win
Rotowire
Loperfido went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a run scored and an RBI in Friday's win over the Giants.
The 26-year-old outfielder was out of the starting lineup for the last three games before the All-Star break due to an illness, but Loperfido looked 100 percent healthy when the Jays resumed their schedule. He's made a big impact since joining the big-league roster in early July, going 7-for-17 (.412) with a homer, two runs and six RBI in six contests.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: Scratched with illness
Rotowire
Loperfido was scratched from the lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Athletics due to an illness, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
Loperfido has been hot since arriving in Toronto on Sunday, going 5-for-14 with a homer and five RBI in four games. However, he'll take a day off Friday to recover from his illness, which will allow Myles Straw to enter the starting nine as the Jays' center fielder.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: Called up Sunday
Rotowire
The Blue Jays recalled Loperfido from Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday. He'll start in right field and bat eighth in the Blue Jays' series finale versus the Angels.
The 26-year-old has spent the first few months of the season at the Triple-A level, and he'll receive his first look in the majors of 2025 with Andres Gimenez (ankle) hitting the injured list in a corresponding move. Loperfido has a .278/.354/.422 slash line with six home runs and 10 steals in 76 games with Buffalo this season.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: Could return to games by Friday
Rotowire
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Wednesday that Loperfido (neck/back) will go through a full workout Thursday and could return to Grapefruit League play as soon as Friday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Loperfido suffered a neck/upper-back injury Tuesday when he collided with the outfield wall, but he emerged without any serious injuries and is not expected to miss much time. The 25-year-old is competing for a starting job in Toronto's outfield.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: Gets start in center field Saturday
Rotowire
Loperfido went 1-for-2 with a double in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.
More importantly, the 25-year-old got the start in center field, a spot the Blue Jays will likely need to fill for the first week or two of the season while Daulton Varsho completes his recovery from shoulder surgery. Loperfido, acquired from the Astros last year in the Yusei Kikuchi trade, slashed just .197/.236/.343 over 144 plate appearances for Toronto in 2024, but his defensive versatility in the outfield and 20-20 upside if he puts everything together appear to make him the early favorite to be Varsho's understudy. Jonatan Clase, Nathan Lukes and Myles Straw also figure to get looks in center field during spring training.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: Back in action Wednesday
Rotowire
Loperfido (hip) is starting in center field and batting eighth Wednesday against the Rangers.
The 25-year-old suffered an adductor injury during Saturday's matchup with the Cardinals and is rejoining the lineup Wednesday after a couple days off. Loperfido should continue seeing regular action in Toronto's outfield down the stretch, and he'll likely see more starts in center field since Daulton Varsho (shoulder) will miss the rest of the season.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: Departs with injury
Rotowire
Loperfido was removed from Saturday's game against St. Louis with left adductor discomfort, Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star reports.
Loperfido appeared to be grabbing at his hip after hitting a double in the third inning of Saturday's contest, though he managed to stay in the game until the fifth frame. If his injury proves to be severe enough to prevent him from playing Sunday, Nathan Lukes would likely be the next man in line to start in left field.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: Sitting out series finale
Rotowire
Loperfido is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds.
Cincinnati has a right-hander on the bump in Nick Martinez, but the left-handed-hitting Loperfido will nonetheless begin the contest on the bench. Davis Schneider will receive the starting nod in left field in place of Loperfido.
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Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido: Taking seat against southpaw
Rotowire
Loperfido is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles.
After beginning his Blue Jays tenure with five consecutive starts, the lefty-hitting Loperfido will hit the bench while the Orioles send southpaw Trevor Rogers to the bump. Davis Schneider will spell Loperfido in left field Wednesday.
