What's the Blue Jays' plan if Varsho isn't ready for CF?

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Shoulders can be complicated. Daulton Varsho's rehab from surgery late last season has gone well, even feeling ahead of schedule at times, but it¡¯s difficult to look too far down the road.

Opening Day has been the dream target for Varsho and the Blue Jays, but given that he¡¯s still throwing at 105-120 feet and ¡°has a few other boxes to check,¡± as manager John Schneider put it, the Blue Jays clearly need to prepare for the possibility of starting the season without their Gold Glover in center.

¡°We¡¯ll have it figured out by the end of this week at the latest,¡± Schneider said, ¡°depending on how he¡¯s feeling with the throwing. The hitting part is fine, right where it should be and where we hoped it would be, but I think we¡¯ll know by the end of the week what we¡¯re going to do.¡±

What¡¯s made this rehab difficult to frame is the fact that Varsho is hitting, and has been doing so since camp opened over a month ago in Dunedin, Fla. He¡¯s launched four home runs this spring, too, including a no-doubter in his first game of the spring. All of these have come as the DH, which are two bizarre letters to see next to the name of one of baseball¡¯s best defenders.

This has always been about throwing for Varsho, right down to the radar-gun readings. The Blue Jays are tracking how hard Varsho is throwing compared to his pre-surgery numbers, which is a key indicator before they stretch him out to farther distances. Then, there¡¯s Varsho¡¯s playing style to consider. The man has a habit of running into walls at full speed, so his shoulder needs to be fully and completely recovered, not just 99%.

Varsho¡¯s spring performance, paired with the Blue Jays¡¯ lack of a standout option at DH, has naturally brought along the question of whether Varsho could open the season in that spot while he works on his throwing off to the side. Early Sunday, Schneider tossed some cold water on the idea.

¡°Right now, that wouldn¡¯t be the best for him or us,¡± Schneider said. ¡°I¡¯ve had conversations with him about that. Right now, that might be a little unlikely.¡±

This is a day to day situation in the truest sense of the word, but the good news at this point is that Varsho¡¯s recovery has gone well and, even if he misses some time off the top of the season, it shouldn¡¯t be much.

Who would replace Varsho?

Joey Loperfido has gotten most of the work in center field in Grapefruit League games, which matters. Loperfido hasn¡¯t put up big numbers at the plate this spring, nor did he in 2024 with the Blue Jays, but the reps through March clearly point to the talented 25-year-old.

Who else, though? Loperfido won¡¯t man the position alone, which opens the door to Nathan Lukes, Steward Berroa, Jonatan Clase, Myles Straw and others.

Straw has put together a fantastic spring at the plate, but isn¡¯t on the 40-man roster and would require a move. Lukes has long been a favorite of the Blue Jays and they¡¯ve shown a willingness to roster him, even for stretches when he¡¯s rarely used, so he should have somewhat of an inside track here. This could all impact someone like Davis Schneider, too, who is limited to left field as a reserve outfielder.

What about Alan Roden?

The Blue Jays¡¯ No. 5 prospect might be having the most impressive camp of any player in Dunedin, period. He¡¯s been challenged and not only met that, but exceeded it. Sunday, he was in the lineup ¡­ starting in center field.

¡°So far, so good,¡± Schneider said. ¡°It¡¯s tough to compare anyone to our normal center fielder in Varsho, but so far, so good. When you put a really smart guy out there with some skills, you¡¯re going to be all right. We¡¯re not asking him to be Varsho, but it¡¯s been good so far.¡±

This still feels like it¡¯s being done more for the sake of versatility -- more of a Spring Training classic -- but it¡¯s worth monitoring given that Roden has only played four career games in center, all of which came last season in Triple-A. Roden is really forcing the Blue Jays¡¯ hand and any potential pathway to the roster, however narrow it might be, can only help the young star of Spring Training.