Toronto Blue Jays DH George Springer (4) leaves the game after an injury in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the 2025 World Series

LOS ANGELES — George Springer once again ran out of hours in his quest to return in this World Series.

Springer was not in the Game 5 lineup for the Toronto Blue Jays, missing his second consecutive game after exiting Game 3 injuring his right side on a swing.

Missing Game 5 gives Springer’s malady two more days to heal. But he’s also running out of time.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said before announcing the team's Game 5 lineup that Springer had made "significant progress" in the past 24 hours and indicated he could be available off the bench.

The Blue Jays registered a 6-2 win in Game 5 without their leadoff hitter, but playing down a man gets far more challenging when the club is locked in a tight game, given Schneider’s aggressive substitution patterns.

Springer was the team's best overall hitter during the regular season, posting a .309/.399/.560 slash line in 586 plate appearances and a team-leading 4.8 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball-Reference.com.

He also has one of the best postseason résumés in baseball history, with 23 home runs and an .877 OPS in 81 career playoff games.

Springer has four home runs this postseason, including a three-run blast that pushed the Blue Jays past the Seattle Mariners in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series. He was also named the World Series MVP in 2017 in leading the Houston Astros past the Los Angeles Dodgers.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: George Springer injury update: Blue Jays slugger status for World Series Game 5

Reporting by Gabe Lacques and Steve Gardner, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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