TORONTO — Nathan Lukes almost gave it all up.
The outfielder had just finished his sixth minor-league season in November 2021 when his daughter, Remi Lynn, was born. Despite hitting over .300 with the Tampa Bay Rays’ Triple-A squad that year, he was released to minor-league free agency. With a new family and dashed dreams, it was the closest he came to quitting.
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On days like Thursday, when Lukes hit a walk-off single in the 12th inning to lift the Toronto Blue Jays over the San Diego Padres, he’s glad he didn’t walk away.
Lukes entered 2025 hoping to compete for a bench spot and earn playing time. But his game-winning hit on Thursday pushed the outfielder’s OPS up to .808, the fourth-highest on the team. The Blue Jays, who need unexpected breakouts to elevate out of the American League’s jumbled middle, are happy Lukes didn’t quit, too.
“I wanted to be in this game to help support the family,” Lukes said. “But at the same time, I’m away from my family. So that was a big one. [Quitting] definitely crossed my mind. Now, it’s nowhere near my mind.”
Few MLB teams are built out of endless All-Stars. The Blue Jays, now over .500, have big contracts and reliable contributors, but it’s the breakout players who lift this type of team from middling to October. In 2023, Davis Schneider drove in 20 runs in 35 games down the stretch. He came up from Triple A and almost single-handedly carried Toronto’s offence for a month, helping the team squeeze into the postseason by a single win.
Last year, the Jays lacked those kinds of stories. Ernie Clement put together a solid season, and Lukes and Leo Jiménez had moments when the playoffs were already out of reach. But there was nothing like Schneider’s run, and nothing like what the Jays are getting out of Addison Barger and Lukes right now.
Live Laugh Lukes 😌 #WALKOFF pic.twitter.com/frVi3WKOdJ
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) May 22, 2025
“You’re gonna need that,” manager John Schneider said. “You know, it’s not just nine guys every single night.”
Barger stepped in as an everyday third baseman with André Giménez on the injured list and Clement sliding over to second. The 25-year-old infielder has come up from Triple A and hit .311 since Giménez’s injury, with an OPS over .910. Lukes’ extended run comes with Anthony Santander battling timing and multiple injuries. Lukes has played in Toronto’s last seven games, driving in four runs.
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Eventually, the Blue Jays will need money-makers like Giménez and Santander to find their health and form. They were Toronto’s two biggest offensive additions this offseason, hoping to improve a lineup that finished 23rd in runs scored last year. Despite both missing time and hitting under .200, Toronto’s offence ranks 18th after Thursday’s win.
It’s runs like the ones Lukes and Barger are on right now that help a team survive ailments and offensive struggles. Maybe they hold things down for 10 days or a month. But sometimes, good stories turn into good seasons. The 2024 Blue Jays didn’t have many of either. The 2025 team needs both.
“He’s paid his dues,” Schneider said of Lukes. “You know what I mean? So it’s nice that he gets a little bit of love right now.”
(Photo: Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images)
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