If one team in baseball was feeling the weight of the world on its shoulders this season, it hasn't the reigning world champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Apr 26, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Yohendrick Pinango celebrates hitting his first single against the Cleveland Guardians during the fifth inning at Rogers Centre.
] | Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images If one team in baseball was feeling the weight of the world on its shoulders this season, it hasn't the reigning world champion Los Angeles Dodgers. It's the Toronto Blue Jays, who came within inches of their first Fall Classic victory in over three decades before losing to LA.
However, even though the Blue Jays had a very impressive offseason, they still sit five games under .500 as injuries have absolutely dismantled every part of this roster, from the rotation to the position players. That includes slugging outfielderBarger spent more than a month on the IL dealing with an ankle sprain, and when he was finally activated, it was rookieTwo days later, Barger was forced back on the IL with an entirely different issue, so Piñango was right back in the dugout.
Now, when Barger rejoins the team,Blue Jays left fielder Yohendrick Pinango hits a two-run double against the Tampa Bay Rays during the seventh inning at Rogers Centre. | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images At first glance, it seems easy to assume as to why the rookie should have earned a spot inside the hitting line up as of now:All of that is great and what any organization would be looking for, but that alone isn't necessarily what should keep Piñango in the majors.
However, that stat line, combined with the unit as a whole struggling offensively, should definitely do it. As a team, Toronto is not performing at the plate, and that is led by Silver Sluggers underperforming, one so much more than the other in first basemanGuerrero has gone 7-for-55 in his last 15 games. Simply put, a .127 batting average.
If it were only the team's first baseman that was having issues, then maybe it shouldn't be PInango who gets sent back, but the whole hitting lineup is all out of sync. Now, is Pinango going to solve all of the team's provlems? Absolutely not. But, taking out a player of the lineup who is making contact and getting on base would be the opposite of the right move.
Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Christopher Nolan Reveals Why the Odyssey Needed to Be ‘Biggest' Movie He’s MadeChristopher Nolan's upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey is set to be one of the biggest films of the year. Recently, Nolan opened up on it.
Read more »
Why the Seahawks won’t be going as far as they did last seasonThe Seahawks’ 2026 season will be significantly different than their magical 2025 Super Bowl winning campaign.
Read more »
Why airplane toilets are tiny engineering marvelsThere's a reason for that very loud sucking sound.
Read more »
Why Scottie Scheffler Thought Aronimink Friday Was ‘Absurd’The defending PGA champ stayed in contention but said the hole locations were brutally hard, and he wasn't alone in thinking so.
Read more »