Nathan Lukes got off to a good start for the Blue Jays in his return from injury on Monday, with a single in the first inning against the Marlins.Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images
It has been a tough start to the season for Nathan Lukes. Early on the Blue Jays outfielder battled with vertigo and had just two hits in his first 31 at-bats.
Once he started to feel healthy again, he suffered a strained left hamstring which relegated him to the injured list until Monday when Toronto reinstated him to its major league roster.
In his first action since April 24, Lukes started in centre field against the visiting Miami Marlins, and delivered three hits in four at-bats.
“It’s been a long time,” the 31-year-old said as he sat in front of his dressing stall before the contest. The Marlins walloped the Toronto 8-2 in the first game of 2026 played with the dome open. “It felt like forever.”
Lukes, who batted .255 with 12 home runs and 65 runs batted in during 2025, has spent much of his time since the injury occurred undertaking rehab at the club’s minor league facility in Dunedin, Fla.
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“Everyone’s goal is to stay healthy, but it’s part of the game,” he said. “You put your body through hell to be ready but sometime people go down and at other times everyone goes down at once.”
The Blue Jays fit in the latter category. While some players like Lukes are starting to trickle back, others are in baseball purgatory with one health issue or another.
At present pitchers Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, José Berrios, Yimi Garcia, Joe Mantiply and Tommy Nance are on the injured list – and Cody Ponce and Bowden Francis are done for the year.
Addison Barger and Alejandro Kirk are also hurt, and Anthony Santander, injured in spring training, is not likely to return until next March.
Lukes, centre, left a game against the Cleveland Guardians after getting injured sliding into second base on April 24. He made his return to the lineup on Monday night against the Marlins.Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press
Cease, who has never missed a start in eight big league seasons, was placed on the 15-day injured list Monday after leaving Sunday’s outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a moderately strained left hamstring. The team called up right-handed minor-leaguer Tanner Andrews who retired all three batters he faced in the ninth inning during his major league debut.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was not in Monday’s lineup after being struck by a 92-mile-per-hour fastball on the inside of his right elbow in Sunday’s loss to Pittsburgh. Manager John Schneider described his injury as being day to day.
Thousands of fans were lined up more than four hours before the first pitch because it was Guerrero’s bobblehead give-away night, which depicts him as a youth in an Expos uniform holding a batting helmet above his head.
To make room for Lukes, John Schneider assigned utility player Davis Schneider to Class-AAA Buffalo. The latter was batting .127 with one home run and eight runs driven in.
The manager said Toronto sent him to the minors in part to receive more plate appearances.
“You want him to go play and hopefully get his rhythm, his timing back and swing at balls he can handle a little bit more frequently,” Schneider said.
Lukes flirted with peril in the seventh inning when he was struck in the head by reliever Andrew Nardi. After hitting the ground, he climbed back to his feet and remained in the game.
Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage (2-2) had a rough outing, allowing five runs on five hits in 6 2/3rds innings. All five of the hits he gave up were doubles.
Lukes was happy to be back in the clubhouse. His wife and children are in Arizona so he was in Dunedin alone for about. month.
“Rehab sucks,” he said.
He dealt with a neck injury, a concussion and migraines in his three previous seasons with the Blue Jays. Then vertigo which left him dizzy and nauseous, followed by the bum hamstring to start the season.
“I normally pride myself on staying healthy,” he said. “What’s happened [with the hamstring] is different. Until now, I don’t think I have ever had an injury that was within my control.
“I feel that maybe I could have prepared myself a little better. As athletes when we get injured we always think there is more we could have done. We all go though it.”