Blue Jays: 3 players who won’t be on the roster by September 1

Blue Jays rumors: Nathan Lukes will be off the roster by September 1

This comes as probably the most obvious player on this list to be optioned. A week ago, it may have seemed like Davis Schneider wouldn’t last long on the roster, but after four games, Schneider is 9 for 17 with 2 home runs. Compare that to Nathan Lukes, who’s 4 for 21 with no home runs and the decision seems quite obvious between the two.

Kevin Kiermeier landed on the injured list with an elbow laceration this week, which cleared the way for Lukes to be called back up to the MLB. But that likely won’t last for long, as Lukes has struggled in his time in Toronto. More than likely, he remains on the active roster for as long as the Blue Jays starting center fielder is on the IL, where he’ll be optioned to Triple-A for the rest of the year afterward.

Nathan Lukes is only 28 years old and has proven over the last year that he is far too talented to remain in Triple-A forever, but there just isn’t a clear roster spot for him right now. His time in Toronto likely won’t be over forever when he’s optioned back to Triple-A, but his 2023 season at the MLB level is likely over.