Blue Jays' Fourth Outfielder: Who is your guy?

Outfielder Anthony Santander was expected to come in and help improve a Blue Jays offence that scuffled to put runs on the board in 2024.

His defense has always been at or below league average so the clubs expectations weren't that high defensively.

So far, however, he's struggled to make much of an impact on either side of the ball.

The Bulk of Santander's playing time this year has been at DH and with his recent injury issues has seen less time in the outfield.

Center fielder Daulton Varsho has returned to the club following rotator cuff surgery and will eventually play every day.

While an aging George Springer has been splitting time between right-field and DH to keep him fresh and injury free over a long and arduous season.

The injuries and inconsistencies have created some opportunities, Straw, Lukes and Clase have taken advantage, with these guys being one of the reasons the Jays have been able to tread water at or below a .500 record despite having a shaky offence.

Lukes was a surprising member of the initial roster, as the Blue Jays opted to start the season with six primary outfielders given Varsho's injury, and the veteran minor leaguer authored a .222/.364/.361 slash line through 36 at-bats this spring.

After appearing in just 51 games with barely over 100 at-bats over the last two seasons, the 30-year-old is getting a real chance to show his skillset this year after a thumb injury in triple-A last year had him on the shelf for some time.

He's started at all three outfield spots and has displayed considerable contact abilities with some power over the last two weeks.

He has been steady at the plate in May, going 10-for-30 with two homers and eight RBI over 11 contests this month. Lukes is up to a .273/.372/.439 slash line with three homers, 13 RBI, 14 runs scored and no stolen bases over 79 plate appearances.

He doesn't have a defined position but has managed to sustain decent playing time as a fourth outfielder.

The trade for Myles Straw was mostly met with skepticism and apathy given the circumstances, but the former Astros and Guardians outfielder has exceeded all expectations and been a crucial contributor.

Known for his defense, the former 12th-round pick has delivered some clutch hits along with his signature defensive acumen. Straw made two jaw-dropping catches during the series sweep in Seattle and came up with two seismic hits to help the Jays pull off the feat.

In the Seattle series, Straw hit a liner to right field in the eighth inning that scored two runs and gave the Blue Jays a 6-3 lead.

That timely single was preceded by a diving catch that robbed Mariners star Julio Rodriguez of extra bases in the sixth.

Then, in the series finale, Straw drove in a run to extend the Jays' lead to 4-1, and helped preserve the lead with another robbery of a potential hit off of J-Rod's bat, making a long run from centerfield to make another athletic, sliding grab.

Straw saw considerable time in the outfield when Varsho was on the IL, and he's been contributing with his bat all season long, authoring a .290/.319/.391 slash line with four doubles, one home run, and seven RBIs.

He's not a power hitter by any means, but considering the circumstances of his acquisition, the Jays have to be pleased with his production on the field, given the rotating capacity of starter and bench player.

Jonatan Clase had 24 hits and eight runs in 22 games for Buffalo with a batting average of .343.

The 22-year-old played seven games for the Blue Jays last season after being acquired from Seattle in July. He had one home run, two runs batted in and a .350 batting average.

In 24 at bats with the Blue Jays so far this season Clase has 3 hits, is batting .125 with 2 stolen bases and an OPS of 292.

A small sample size but has a long way to go to keep up with Straw and Lukes so far this season.