Blue Jays’ George Springer Replacement Offers 5-Word Response On Health Setback

Toronto Blue Jays’ Leadoff Hitter Nathan Lukes Visits Vertigo Specialist

He attributed his issues at the plate to some vertigo symptoms he was experiencing and visited a specialist while the time was on the road to play the Arizona Diamondbacks last week.

“Lukes visited with a Phoenix-area vertigo specialist Friday morning and doubled down on some head-movement exercises that can help alleviate the symptoms, which include dizziness, unsteadiness and nausea,” Shi Davidi reported for Sportsnet.

Since then, the results have been better for Lukes as he looks to fill in for Springer.

“Lukes looks and feels like a completely refreshed hitter,” Mitch Bannon noted for The Athletic. “The lefty has eight hard-hit base hits this season. Seven of those have come in the last six games since he began vertigo treatment. Lukes says it probably wasn’t the smartest decision to play through the ailment, and his 0-for-23 to start April seems to back that up.”

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The Blue Jays have good reason to hope that Lukes’ post-treatment results will be closer to the version they see as Springer continues to recover. But even though their leadoff replacement appears to be better off after addressing his vertigo symptoms, Lukes made it clear that he will be dealing with the health setback for the foreseeable future.

“I know it’s not done,” Lukes said of his vertigo problem, per Bannon. “It’s still kind of there. But the exercises that they gave me and the medications, I just got to stick on it. Hopefully we’re over that hump.”

With the Blue Jays looking to return to the World Series with better results this year, the team will be counting on virtually all of its hitters to provide the same kind of production that made their lineup so fearsome last season. And for Lukes, that could mean battling through his vertigo health setback for the rest of the campaign, but particularly while Springer remains out of action.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com