It was an incredibly tough start to the season for Nathan Lukes. The 31-year-old outfielder was completely lost at the plate and looked nothing like the player who had hit .263/.331/.414 in 157 games between 2024 and 2025. He was one of the pleasant surprises of the ’25 campaign for Toronto as he provided the club with a valuable left-handed bat and ended up with a .730 OPS and hit 12 home runs in 135 games.

But through his first 13 games of this season, Lukes was hitting .065/.118/.065 with two hits in 34 at-bats, with six strikeouts and one walk. Then it was revealed that Lukes had been dealing with vertigo, which makes stationary objects feel like they are moving around you, which can’t be something that’s easy to deal with when when you’re facing 100 mph fastballs being thrown in your direction.

It seemed like that issue has subsided for the time being and now that Lukes can actually see the ball, he’s hitting like it’s 2025 all over again. Lukes got a pinch hit single in last Friday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and he hasn’t stopped hitting since. The native of Portland, Oregon has made up for lost time hitting safely in four straight games, going 8-for-13 with two doubles and five RBIs in the process. What’s been incredibly impressive is, he hasn’t struck out in those 13 at-bats and he’s made 38.5% hard contact on his batted balls.

👀 Nathan Lukes has a hit in his last four games 👀 pic.twitter.com/lbZ3Vk6OtW

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) April 21, 2026

That’s a great indication that Lukes has fully returned to normal. Last year, his strikeout percentage was 13.7%, the third best mark on the team behind Ernie Clement (10.4%) and Alejandro Kirk (11.7%) and just ahead of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (13.8%). With his current K% at 12.8% Lukes has maintained his ability to make good swing decisions, despite the issues that plagued him early on. And the timing couldn’t have been better for the Blue Jays and for Lukes who could have been one roster move away from being sent down to Triple-A.

Lukes may have been treading water with his roster spot as Blue Jays injuries begin to subside

Lukes has an option remaining and so the Blue Jays could have just as easily sent him down to Buffalo to work through his struggles, especially in the wake of the rest of the offence puttering along as well. The Blue Jays need guys to produce, but with the amount of injuries they have endured in the early going, they couldn’t afford to just kick a guy to the curb that had proven his value just a year ago.

With Toronto calling up Eloy Jiménez and trading for Tyler Fitzgerald and Lenyn Sosa while Davis Schneider and Myles Straw were being more productive, it felt like Lukes could be on his way out the minute one of the Blue Jays reinforcements arrived. George Springer and Addison Barger are the main cogs that would affect all of the other players’ playing time and when they return the Blue Jays will have to make a choice on who stays and who goes.

“The team here is unbelievable. They all had my back.” 👊

Nathan Lukes joins @ArdenZwelling after going 3-for-5 at the plate in the Jays’ win over the D-backs. pic.twitter.com/DotVnBS4SG

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 19, 2026

Fitzgerald has already been sent down to Triple-A and with Springer seemingly on the mend, decision time is looming. It’s going to only help Lukes hold on to his spot if he continues to hit at this rate since Jiménez has been the second best hitter on the team since the Springer injury (.368/.429/.368 136 wRC+). Meanwhile, Straw has a .389 OBP in 19 plate appearances and Sosa was consistently putting the ball in play upon his arrival to the team.

There could be an argument made for everyone of them, but when it gets to the portion of the roster for the guys that aren’t going to be starting everyday it normally comes down to “what have you done for me lately” that determines if you stay with the big league club. At this point in time, Lukes can answer that question with, “I’ve done a lot lately,” and feel safe about his roster spot whenever Springer or Barger return to the scene.

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