What Will Andrés Giménez’s Return Mean for Ernie Clement?

Trading for Andrés Giménez was the first real impact move the Blue Jays made this past offseason, acquiring him and RHP Nick Sandlin from the Guardians in exchange for Spencer Horwitz and outfield prospect Nick Mitchell.

The Blue Jays acquiring Giménez really shouldn't have come as too much of a surprise. The Jays have been one of the best defensive teams in the league over the last few seasons, and Giménez added to an already elite defence. From 2022-2024, his 59 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) were the best in baseball, while his 49 Outs Above Average trailed only Dansby Swanson for the best among qualified players over that time. It's no wonder he won the Gold Glove in three straight seasons.

In addition, the Blue Jays believed they could get more out of his bat than what he had shown in the last few seasons. His OPS+ dropped from 141 in 2022, when he was an All-Star and finished sixth in MVP voting, down to 96 in 2023 and 81 in 2024. For context, 100 is league average.

At the time of the trade, Ross Atkins said, “Everything about him was attractive. The work we did on his bat and the offensive impact that can be there” (via Keegan Matheson). And while Giménez's .195/.273/.305 season slash line and 65 OPS+ to date leave you wanting more, there is no question he is going to be a key part of this team going forward.

Giménez has been out of the lineup since May 7 with a strained quad but has now begun a rehab assignment. In his first rehab game, he went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk. He is expected to be back with the Blue Jays before too long, presuming no setbacks.

The assumption is that Giménez will return and be the everyday second baseman once he is ready to go. The question then becomes, what happens with the rest of the roster once he returns?

When Giménez was sent to the IL, Michael Stefanic was called up. He has appeared in eight games, mostly at second base, but hasn't produced much with just three hits, all singles. He’s the most likely candidate to be sent down.

Where it becomes trickier is figuring out what the Blue Jays can do with Ernie Clement. He has played in all 19 games since Giménez's injury, starting mostly at second, but has seen time at shortstop, third base, and first base as well. During this stretch, he’s hit a modest .273/.338/.333 with a home run and a stolen base.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about Clement's bat is that he has some very extreme platoon splits this season:

• vs. LHP: 15-44 (.341), 1 HR, 6 BB, 6 K, with a 173 wRC+
• vs. RHP: 23-111 (.207), 0 HR, 4 BB, 18 K with a 29 wRC+

So, it makes the most sense to have Clement get into the lineup against left-handed pitching, and he should probably be on the bench, or very low in the order, against right-handed pitching.

You could make the argument that the Jays should just platoon Clement and Giménez at second base, as Giménez has hit better against righties than lefties in 2025 (82 wRC+ vs. RHP, 36 wRC+ vs. LHP). I'm sure that will happen on occasion, but Giménez was an everyday player before his injury this year, and it's likely that will continue to be the case.

Clement also has the option to back up Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base or Bo Bichette at shortstop, and the latter may be coming true, as Bichette had the day off on Wednesday with “a little lower back tightness.” Although initial reports say Bichette has been feeling better, the Blue Jays are being “extra careful” (per Sportsnet's Shi Davidi).

The next logical option for Clement, if he is going to continue receiving regular playing time, is that he steps in and plays a lot more third base. Before Giménez's injury, that's where Clement played most often. However, third is the position that Addison Barger has occupied lately, and he has an .864 OPS since Giménz went down, the highest mark on the team.

Clement's value doesn't come entirely from his bat; his best tool, aside from his versatility, has got to be his glove, and it has been excellent again this season. In terms of OAA, Ernie Clement ranks second in all of baseball:

Clement is clearly adding value, whether he's producing with the bat or not. It's hard to justify leaving a player who adds so much defensive value on the bench.

The Blue Jays should look to use Clement in a mostly everyday role, bouncing him between infield positions. They could give Vlad and Bo more DH days, or this could force Barger back to right field on occasion, with George Springer moving to left or taking some more DH days himself. Either way, it seems like Nathan Lukes would lose playing time in this scenario, and he’s holding his own so far this season (.764 OPS with four home runs). So that might not be the best course of action.

The other move that may happen is maybe the Blue Jays finally bite the bullet and give Anthony Santander an IL trip to deal with the shoulder/hip issues that he’s been playing through. On Wednesday, MLB.com's Keegan Matheson reported that Santander's injury issues have led him to limit his big swings in hopes of making more contact. Yet, contact was never Santander's game, and the Blue Jays need him to be more of a home run threat, as aside from a few exceptions, the Blue Jays don't have many hitters who have the same home run upside as Santander. Moving Santander to the IL would give him time to rest, reflect, and heal, and would also open up more DH at-bats for the rest of the roster. However, the Blue Jays have had opportunities to put Santander on the IL already and have refused to do so, so unless something else comes up, this might not be the route the Blue Jays go.

No matter what the Blue Jays decide to do, Giménez's eventual return to the lineup may move things around more than originally expected. It will likely bring about the biggest change since Daulton Varsho returned to the lineup at the end of April. Giménez's return is likely to shake up the playing time for more players than just Clement, and that's pretty important for the Toronto Blue Jays going forward.