Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Ernie Clement (face) will cover third base and bat in the seven-hole against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday afternoon. Clement has been sidelined since Monday after being hit by a pitch. Clement avoided any significant injuries and only sustained a lip laceration and contusion. Seeing that he is back in the lineup suggests this injury was minor and he will not face any limitations by Opening Day. Last season, the 28-year-old logged a career-high 139 contests with the Blue Jays. He held a .263/.284/.408 slash line with 12 home runs and 12 stolen bases. He showed an elite eye at the plate as he only struck out at a 9.1 percent rate. However, he only generated hard contact at a 24.9 percent rate. Fantasy managers should expect Clement to continue to compete for the starting job at the hot corner alongside Addison Barger. If he does win the job, he will carry value in deeper points leagues given his excellent strikeout rate.
Ernie Clement Could Return To Game Action On Thursday
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement (mouth) is progressing and could return to the team's Grapefruit League lineup as early as Thursday, according to manager John Schneider. Clement was hit in the face by a pitch in Monday's spring training against the Detroit Tigers. The 28-year-old thankfully was able to escape with only a cut on his lip and avoided a concussion. Clement will be ready in plenty of time for Opening Day at the end of March, and as of right now, he's considered the favorite to see the majority of playing time at third base. The 28-year-old still needs to earn the starting job, though, and he'll need to continue to play well in 2025 to hold off others at the position. The former fourth-round pick by the Cleveland Guardians in 2017 out of the University of Virginia makes elite contact and slashed .263/.284/.408 with 12 homers, 51 RBI and 12 steals in 139 games in his first full season in the big leagues in 2024.
Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Ernie Clement (head) did not suffer a concussion or fractures after being hit by a pitch during Monday's spring training contest. Clement exited this contest early but avoided any serious injuries. He only sustained a lip laceration and contusion. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status throughout the week but should not expect him to miss much time. The 28-year-old is expected to operate as the team's No. 1 third baseman to open the 2025 campaign. Last season, Clement logged a career-high 139 games and posted a .263/.284/.408 slash line with 21 doubles and 12 home runs. He swiped 12 bags and held an 11:41 BB:K ratio. If Clement were to miss time during the week, Addison Barger should see an increase in playing time.
Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Ernie Clement (face) exited Monday's spring training contest early after getting hit by a pitch in the face. Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet noted that the infielder has lip lacerations and contusions. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as he will likely be held out of action for some time. Last season, the 28-year-old logged a career-high 130 games at the MLB level with the Blue Jays. He held a .263/.284/.408 line with 12 home runs and 12 stolen bases. He showed an elite eye at the plate as he struck out at a near perfect 9.1 percent rate (100th percentile). However, he generated a low 24.9 percent hard-hit rate. When healthy, he should be expected to be Toronto's third baseman. If he were to miss time, Addison Barger should be the top candidate to replace him.
Ernie Clement Expected To Open The Year At Third Base
MLB.com's Keegan Matheson expects Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement to open the year as the starting third baseman. However, once the season gets underway, Matheson thinks the Blue Jays could play the hot hand at the position, which could also mean plenty of Will Wagner, especially if the Jays are looking to inject more offense into the lineup. Manager John Schneider singled out Clement as a likely backup option to Bo Bichette at shortstop, and given his athleticism, he should be a valuable piece for the team, regardless of how often he plays. In addition to Clement and Wagner, Orelvis Martinez and Addison Barger could also factor into the hot corner, so Clement is going to have to perform to continue seeing regular playing time. The 28-year-old hit .263/.284/.408 with 12 homers, 51 RBI and 12 steals in a career-high 139 games last year. Clement's versatility and elite contact skills makes him worth targeting in AL-only leagues.
Ernie Clement With A Homer, Three RBI On Wednesday
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, three RBI, a walk, and a run scored in Wednesday's 11-7 loss to the Reds. It was the ninth home run of the season for Clement and he's now homered in back-to-back games and three of his last six. The 28-year-old continues to produce out of the middle of the Jays' lineup. Over his last 36 games, the former fourth-round draft pick is slashing .297/.329/.471 with 26 RBI, 15 runs scored, and five stolen bases. Clement is still available in almost 90% of Yahoo leagues and the utility player is eligible at 2B, 3B, and SS, making his rosterability even more appealing.
Ernie Clement Homers, Drives In A Pair On Wednesday
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement went 2-for-4 with a triple, a home run, two RBI, and two runs scored in Wednesday's 9-2 win over the Angels. The 28-year-old has been quietly productive over the last month, going 35-for-114 (.307) over his last 30 games with nine extra-base hits, 18 RBI, 11 runs scored, and five stolen bases. The former fourth-round draft pick is making great contact (87.4%) which is leading to a minuscule 7.0% strikeout rate. He's also eligible at 2B, 3B, and SS on Yahoo and is available in almost 90% of leagues. Fantasy managers looking for a tough out that can plug multiple lineup holes for the stretch run should consider adding Clement off of the waiver wire.
Ernie Clement Collects Two Hits, Walks Off Rangers
Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Ernie Clement collected two hits on Friday night, including a walkoff single in the Blue Jays 6-5 victory over the Texas Rangers. Both of Clement's hits resulted in runs, giving him two RBI on the night while raising his OPS to .689 on the season. The 28-year-old has had a very up-and-down season for the Blue Jays but has been a stable option for them at third base as Isiah Kiner-Filefa works back from a knee injury. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues looking for an option at third base may want to consider Clement as an option, but other managers may not find as much appeal. DFS managers may want to target Clement during away games, a situation where he's hitting for a .798 OPS. He'll get another chance to improve his July on Saturday against Rangers' scheduled starter Michael Lorenzen.
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement had a huge night in a 10-6 win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. Clement went 3-for-4 with a homer, two runs, and four RBI to help power his team to the win. The 28-year-old's three-run homer came off San Francisco starter Logan Webb in the fifth inning, giving the Blue Jays a 3-2 lead. Clement is now hitting .261 with six homers, 22 runs, 21 RBI, and three steals across 176 at-bats this season, with two of his homers coming over his past two contests.
Davis Schneider, Daniel Vogelbach, Ernie Clement Make Blue Jays Roster
Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Davis Schneider, utility bat Daniel Vogelbach, and infielder Ernie Clement have all made the opening day roster. Schneider should see a decent amount of playing time at second base, either as a platoon with Cavan Biggio or as the outright second baseman with Biggio shifting around the diamond. Vogelbach will likely be a bench bat and could fill in at DH when Justin Turner is playing in the field or taking a day off. Clement will be a bench infielder for the club. Schneider has the most appeal in fantasy and could be worth a speculative add in deeper leagues.
Ernie Clement
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Blue Jays
