The Blue Jays announced their final roster decisions just prior to first pitch on Opening Day in New York on Thursday, solidifying their final bullpen spots as the club works to navigate injuries early.

Star outfielder George Springer opens the season on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain, and he’s joined by Robbie Ray, Nate Pearson, Thomas Hatch and Kirby Yates. The Blue Jays have the potential to be one of baseball’s most productive offensive teams, but they’ll need their pitching depth to step up early.

Reliever Tim Mayza and infielder Joe Panik made the team as non-roster invitees, so on Thursday, catcher Reese McGuire and infielder Breyvic Valera were designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

Here’s a look at how the Blue Jays line up on Opening Day:

Catcher (2): Danny Jansen, Alejandro Kirk
The Blue Jays informed Kirk on Sunday that he’d made the Opening Day roster, bringing a sensible end to a Spring Training competition that’s always been tilted in his favor. The 22-year-old will now back up Jansen in the Major Leagues, where Toronto trusts he can round out his development and also take some DH at-bats.

With Reese McGuire designated and the trade for veteran Juan Graterol from the Angels, the club’s catching depth remains impressive throughout the system, with the club's No. 19 prospect Riley Adams opening the season on the taxi squad, then shifting to Triple-A when the Minor League season starts. No. 8 prospect Gabriel Moreno is expected to stsart at Double-A.

First base (2): Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Rowdy Tellez
Guerrero has been determined to earn another shot at third base, and while it’s possible he might get the odd look there to keep some versatility, first base remains his long-term home. Let’s not forget that Guerrero’s defence at first was still a work in progress last season, too, so that’s worth watching as he enters camp in much better physical shape. He’s having an exceptional spring at the plate and driving the ball in the air, which is particularly encouraging after ground balls were a major issue for him in 2019 and '20.

Tellez will see his days at first, too, along with some designated hitter reps. On days Tellez is out of the lineup, he’ll make for a very nice bench bat for manager Charlie Montoyo and his righty-heavy lineup. Tellez’s hard contact this spring hasn’t translated to numbers, but he’ll still have plenty of opportunities when the season opens.

Second base (2): Marcus Semien, Joe Panik
It’s been several years since Semien played second base, but the veteran has looked perfectly comfortable there through the early half of the Grapefruit League schedule. Alongside Bo Bichette, Semien could give the Blue Jays one of the better middle infields in the American League, especially offensively.

We’ll call Panik a second baseman here, a position at which he won a Gold Glove Award with the Giants in 2016, but the veteran should see time at multiple positions. With Panik as the primary reserve infielder, the versatile Santiago Espinal should be the next man up should a need arise.

Shortstop (1): Bo Bichette
If Bichette stays healthy, he’ll want to be out there for all 162 games at shortstop. If he needs a breather at any point, Semien can easily slide over to shortstop to cover for him. This is Bichette’s position to run with, and with an .896 OPS over the first 75 games of his Major League career, Bichette has all of the talent necessary to be one of the game’s best young shortstops.

The line between good and great for Bichette comes down to his defence. The Blue Jays trust his fielding to stay there long-term, but next offseason’s free-agent class is stacked and the Francisco Lindor situation this past winter introduced the conversation whether Bichette could be moved off the position for an elite addition. A full 162-game season at shortstop -- and the data that comes with it -- should paint a much clearer picture of Bichette on defence, an area of his game into which he’s poured plenty of work.

Third base (1): Cavan Biggio
Biggio is listed as a third baseman because that’s where he’ll likely see the bulk of his playing time, but the 25-year-old remains the club’s most versatile player. Biggio can play second, first and either corner-outfield spot as the club needs, so this could develop throughout the season -- especially if the Blue Jays target another bat at any point prior to the Trade Deadline.

The Blue Jays’ trust in Biggio’s instincts makes them comfortable with him opening as the primary third baseman, but his arm will be tested throwing across the diamond. Keep an eye on Biggio when he’s forced to charge in on balls or make plays moving to his glove side while throwing. The early reviews have all been impressive, though, and it’s easy to see how Biggio’s maturity on the field helps him slow the game down. Starting the season in Dunedin, Fla., could do wonders for Biggio if he can put the ball in the air to right field, too.

Outfield (4): Jonathan Davis, Teoscar Hernández, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Randal Grichuk
Springer opens the season on the 10-day IL, which isn’t how anyone envisioned his six-year, $150 million contract starting, but the Blue Jays want their star center fielder back at 100% before he debuts. That means Davis cracks the roster, and he’s earned it after a strong showing in Grapefruit League play. Expect to see Grichuk as the primary center fielder until Springer returns, but Davis can play all three outfield positions at a high level and offers speed off the bench.

Hernández is coming off a Silver Slugger Award in 2020, and his power ceiling is as high as anyone’s on this roster. Gurriel offers plenty of offensive upside in left field, too, and he's coming off an .882 OPS last season. If both can stay healthy, this duo could put up some big numbers in the middle of the Blue Jays’ lineup alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Starting pitchers (5): Hyun Jin Ryu, T.J. Zeuch, Steven Matz, Tanner Roark, Ross Stripling
Pitchers across baseball will be challenged as they ramp up following the 60-game 2020 season, and when you add in the fact that the Blue Jays’ rotation leans more on depth than top-end talent, creative solutions will be on the table. This will include piggyback strategies, spot starts to create an extra day of rest and more. This could be a fluid group that stretches the traditional definition of a starting rotation.

With Ray on the IL to open the season, the Blue Jays will turn to Stripling in Game 2 against the Yankees, with Zeuch likely to follow him in the finale. Zeuch’s start, in particular, could feature a bullpen strategy. This picture will develop throughout April as the Blue Jays get back a healthy Ray and, they hope, a healthy Pearson. The No. 1 prospect is dealing with a right groin strain that he reaggravated in camp, but he still needs to build back up as he rehabs.

Relief pitchers (9): Jordan Romano, Rafael Dolis, Ryan Borucki, Tyler Chatwood, David Phelps, Julian Merryweather, Tim Mayza, Trent Thornton, Joel Payamps
Losing Yates was a major blow to this bullpen, but the Blue Jays faced this same challenge in 2020 when Ken Giles went down. Expect more of the same, with arms like Romano, Dolis, Chatwood and Phelps getting looks in the late innings depending on leverage. Romano has the highest potential of the group, though, so he should open as the club’s top option.

Having Merryweather healthy gives Toronto a one- to two-inning option capable of pitching leverage, too, but the club still needs another multi-inning arm, which is why the Blue Jays decided to add Thornton as their long man to open the year. Thornton often found trouble in the fourth or fifth inning as a starter, but facing a lineup once through could suit him well and allow the Blue Jays to keep someone like Anthony Kay stretched out as a starter early in the season. Payamps was a surprise addition to the roster, but he performed well in camp after bouncing back and forth between the Red Sox and Blue Jays on waivers and offers the bullpen more length.

Mayza earned a spot ahead of schedule, coming back from Tommy John surgery and looking very sharp on the mound to beat out veteran Francisco Liriano. The club’s taxi squad will feature Tommy Milone, A.J. Cole and Travis Bergen to open the season.