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Ernie Clement of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Toronto Blue Jays have flirted with .500 several times throughout the 2026 season, but at each and every turn the team’s momentum is halted. Over the past few days, it was the Houston Astros to shut the Jays down, and after back-to-back losses for Toronto, they’re back to 39-41 on the season as they remain in third place in the American League East.

While plenty of the reason for Toronto’s struggles have revolved around injury, as of late they’ve been getting healthier and healthier, and with optimism for Addison Barger and Yimi Garcia, the team could be back to 100% before long. On top of the serious injuries, there’s been some niggling injuries as well, but thankfully the team have now got some great news on one of their most important players.

Ernie Clement Returns to the Blue Jays Lineup

GettyErnie Clement of the Toronto Blue Jays.

As a result of the avalanche of injuries, anytime a player is dealing with anything in 2026 for Toronto, the fans get increasingly worried, and after All-Star candidate Ernie Clement missed Tuesday’s game and entered late in Wednesday’s loss against Houston, fans were worried again.

This time however, the news for Toronto is positive, as Clement has been named in the lineup for the series opening matchup with the Texas Rangers, as he will hit second and play shortstop with the team opting for a right-handed heavy lineup against Rangers ace Mackenzie Gore.

Before the nagging injury that cost him a few games, Clement was the only Blue Jay to play in every game this season, and as a result he’s been dominant, hitting .292 alongside an OPS of .750 with 7 home runs, 28 RBI and a league leading 20 doubles. On top of the offensive production that’s flowed from a historic post-season performance in 2025, Clement remains incredibly versatile in the field, and that’s on full display on Thursday as he’ll take over from defensive wizard Andres Gimenez, who will set against a lefty after a recent rough patch.

Can the Blue Jays Find Momentum with Clement’s Return?

Before back-to-back heartbreaking losses against the Astros, the Blue Jays had built momentum again, winning five of their prior six games, and with Kevin Gausman on the mound in this matchup, they’ll have the opportunity to rekindle that spark. It won’t come easy however, as Mackenzie Gore is one of the best left-handers in all of baseball, but with a righty heavy lineup featuring Springer, Clement, Guerrero, Okamoto and Kirk at the top, this is the perfect opportunity to get it started at home.

As for Clement, the worries over his health were never serious, but after back-to-back games where he started on the bench, fans had begun to fear that this could be an injury that keeps him out for a further few games. Now though, his return has been confirmed, which will be news that gets a major cheer at the Rogers Centre for a Blue Jays fan favorite, and with the team hoping to build momentum as they continue to get healthy, they will hope to get things started on Thursday night.