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Springer soaks up Canada Day vibes at the plate
TORONTO – American George Springer continued to feel good vibrations playing for the Toronto Blue Jays on Canada Day.
The 35-year-old outfielder drove in a career-high seven runs with a solo homer to left field in the fourth, a grand slam to left centre in the seventh, and a two-run single up the middle in the eighth to lift the Blue Jays to a 12-5 win against the New York Yankees on Tuesday.
Canada’s only Major League Baseball club put on quite the pre-game show to celebrate this country’s 158th birthday, and the ceremony touched many of the Blue Jays, including Springer.
Manager John Schneider caught the ceremonial pitch. The entire team joined Canadian armed servicemen and women, holding a gigantic Canadian flag that covered the outfield at Rogers Centre.
Finally, as the anthem was finishing fighter jets hummed over the stadium.
“We got to go hang on to the flag, and I thought that was cool,” Springer said. “This obviously is a very special day, and for us to win was big for us.
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“I know we probably haven’t won (a lot) on these days here. But the Jets were cool with the anthem. The whole environment was awesome.”
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The Blue Jays improved to 13-12 on Canada Day at home, but sport a woeful 17-29 record overall on July 1. Springer, however, has enjoyed good times on Canada Day as well as a renaissance this season.
“I think the biggest thing for me is I have learned how to handle the failure,” said Springer, who has gone 9 for 19 (. 474) with three homers, 10 RBI and five runs scored in five Canada Day games for the Blue Jays.
“You’re going to have ups and downs. It’s not always about getting a hit, it’s the process, right? Ultimately, you know, it’ll start to show. You just have to hang in there.”
By snatching the first two of the four-game series, the Blue Jays have pushed to within a game of the American League East Division-leading Yankees.
Toronto has gone 21-10 since May 27, and Springer has played a significant role in the turnaround.
“When he’s playing well usually our whole team plays well,” Toronto veteran starter Kevin Gausman said. “He’s a guy who can take over a game and when he’s locked in he can take over a series.”
Springer hit his 100th homer as a Blue Jay and his ninth career grand slam before 41,129 at Rogers Centre.
He has been secretive as to what adjustments he’s made at the plate this season. But part of Springer’s comeback can be attached to Schneider employing him more as a designated hitter to save him physically.
Springer likes to call the DH role an OP, for offensive player, because of his baserunning ability.
“George is a big-time player when he’s at his best,” Schneider said. “He likes moments like that. … It’s easy for him to slow the moment down.
“I remember in spring training saying, ‘Hey George, I don’t want you to hit 40 homers. I want you to be productive throughout this lineup.’ He’s really grasped onto that. And when a guy like him does it, it trickles down to everyone else.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
TORONTO – Blue Jays slugger George Springer has been cleared to return to game action after suffering a concussion over two weeks ago, Toronto manager John Schneider said Wednesday.
The 35-year-old outfielder/designated hitter hasn’t played since July 28 when he was hit in the helmet by a fastball thrown by Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kade Strowd.
Springer, who was on hand for batting practice before Toronto’s game against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night, was expected to play for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons on Thursday.
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“Play DH tomorrow and then see if he needs a game in the outfield to see how he feels,” Schneider said in his pre-game availability. “But he’ll be doing that tomorrow.”
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Springer has been one of the top offensive performers this season for the Blue Jays (70-50), who had a 4 1/2-game lead on the Boston Red Sox in the American League East standings entering play Wednesday.
Over 101 games, Springer has a .291 average, 18 homers, 57 RBIs and an on-base and slugging percentage of .889.
Strowd’s 96-m.p.h. pitch appeared to hit Springer’s shoulder before making contact with his helmet near the ear flap. After laying prone for a moment or two, Springer got up slowly and left the field with some assistance.
He was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list on July 29.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
Two delightfully shaggy new faces will be on display at the Toronto Zoo starting on Friday.
The nine-month-old brothers are Scottish Highland cattle, with long, woolly, reddish coats and fringe over their eyes.
The zoo’s manager of wildlife care, Marc Brandson, says the two were born and raised at a local Ontario farm before moving to the zoo about a month ago.
He says they completed a quarantine period and now live just outside the Eurasia Wilds area of the zoo.
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Membership holders can visit the brothers at a pre-screening on Thursday, while other visitors can see them starting Friday.
Brandson says there is “a lot of excitement” around the pair because of how popular the Highland breed already is.
He says the zoo is hoping to have the brothers walk through the public area of the zoo as part of its animal ambassador program, which can give visitors a closer look at certain animals.
“Each and every day, our outreach and discovery staff are working to get them to that level,” he said.
“Having a bonded pair is a really great social situation for Highland cows. These brothers are very calm and they are gaining confidence each and every day that they interact with their caregivers.”
The brothers don’t have names yet, and Brandson says the public should stay tuned on ways to contribute naming ideas.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner says the federal government needs to do more to fight Canada’s devastating forest fires.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday in Ottawa, the Alberta MP accused Ottawa of “inaction” on wildfires. She also blamed that lack of action for new measures restricting activities in the forests of two provinces — even though those bans were imposed by the provinces themselves.
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick last week banned hiking, fishing, camping and the use of vehicles in its forests in response to the heightened wildfire risk.
Rempel Garner said that while she understands the fear Maritimers feel, restricting individuals’ movements is “not right.”
“Whenever there’s a major crisis, what the Liberal government has done by their inaction has conditioned Canadians to expect that the only response they can see out of their federal government is to restrict their movement,” Rempel Garner told reporters.
“We’re calling on the federal government to actually get serious about this issue.”
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Conservative MP Marc Dalton presented a bill last year to stiffen penalties for wildfires caused by arson. It never made it past first reading and died when Parliament was dissolved ahead of this year’s election.
Rempel Garner said that’s one area where the Liberals could have taken action on wildfires. She also called on the federal government to dedicate more resources to wildfire control.
In its 2021 election platform, the Liberals promised to train 1,000 community-based firefighters to fight wildfires and to work with provinces and territories to get them more firefighting planes.
Last month, Ontario Premier Doug Ford told reporters that Alberta-based water bomber manufacturer De Havilland was facing a four-year backlog of orders.
“Four full wildfire seasons ago, the Liberals promised more water bombers, more firefighters,” Rempel Garner said. “Where are they?”
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston brushed off the criticisms of the forest entry ban at a press conference later Wednesday.
“I find it remarkable, the interest in travelling in Nova Scotia woods by people who aren’t in Nova Scotia and probably haven’t been here much in their life,” Houston told reporters.
“We’re only concerned with keeping people safe. We’ll do what’s necessary to protect lives, and that’s what we’re doing in this case.”
So far this season, the total area of the country burned by wildfires is nearly the size of the entire province of New Brunswick.
— With files from Sarah Ritchie.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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