Blue Jays Make Unfortunate Announcement on Thursday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Ayomide P. Adeduyite | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 4:42 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays enter Thursday's game at Rogers Centre aiming to sweep the Arizona Diamondbacks after back-to-back wins the first two games, culminated by an 8-1 rout on Wednesday. Eric Lauer had a season-high eight strikeouts during the game and the Blue Jays also benefitted from key hits from Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Addison Barger and pinch-hitter Alan Roden.

Roden, 25, has been a spark since his call-up in late May—appearing in 11 of 15 games in June. While his season average stands at .202, he’s been the hottest bat of late, hitting .313 with a .743 OPS and three RBIs since his return from Triple-A this month.

However, before Thursday’s opener, the Blue Jays made an unfortunate announcement: Roden was scratched from the lineup with “right knee inflammation” just hours before the game began. In Roden's absence, Will Robertson will take the field, replacing him in left field and the batting order.

His knee issue not only removes an in-form hitter but also complicates the Blue Jays’ already-thin outfield depth.

Late news: Alan Roden has been scratched with right knee inflammation. #BlueJays
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) June 19, 2025

Roden’s power and plate presence have been key to maintaining offensive momentum, and his absence leaves a noticeable void in their lineup. With multiple outfielders already shelved—Myles Straw, Jonathan Clase and Daulton Varsho—his loss also increases pressure on untested backups.

The Blue Jays (40-33) will now seek to get the job done without one of their in-form players, as the team continues to mount pressure on the slumping New York Yankees (43-31) for the American League's top spot.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: