Schneider refuses – John Schneider says he will not bench Vladimir Guerrero Jr. after the Blue Jays were swept four straight by the Texas Rangers and extended Toronto’s losing streak to six games. Guerrero went 0-for-9 in the final two games, and Schneider pointed to the work he
Rogers Centre felt like it was holding its breath again after Toronto’s fourth straight loss to the Texas Rangers. a sweep that pushed the Blue Jays’ slide to six consecutive defeats. The Blue Jays (39-45) head into their three-game set against the New York Mets (35-49) on Monday. still looking for answers after a homestand that has matched a season-worst losing streak.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been among the players trying to shake it off. He has yet to homer at home in 2026, and during the Rangers series he went 0-for-9 in the final two games.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Saturday’s defeat didn’t change how he was approaching Guerrero. After the loss, Schneider watched the slugger work through a session in the hitting cage and then talked with him about what’s been happening.
“He’s actually good (mentally),” Schneider said. “You want some players to be good liars to a manager in terms of how they’re feeling. Vlad’s been an open book with me, so I’ve pressed him a few times in the last couple of weeks, and he’s good.
“I can’t imagine what it is like to be Vlad, and the pressure that comes with it, the expectations that come with it. He’s been dealing with it since he was 17 years old. It’s a lot.
“Hopefully, you look back on, not just this stretch or this homestand so far, but you look back on it, and you say, ‘Wow, that sucked,’ and you get better from it.”
For all the struggles on the field, Schneider drew a clear line when asked directly whether Guerrero would sit. His response was firm.
“I’m not going to bench him,” Schneider said. “There’s always a time when a guy needs a little bit of a break. whether it’s physically. mentally. whatever it is. It’s no secret we’re going to need Vlad to be good. He knows that, we know that. So, I think my job is to make sure his work is good, his mindset is good.”.
The Blue Jays have tried to find momentum early, only to watch games slip away before they can turn them around. Their comebacks have fallen short, and the club needs to start scoring early while also preventing runs early.
Sunday’s game illustrated how quickly things can unravel. Nathan Lukes tied it 2-2 with a two-run bomb in the eighth inning. Then, closer Louis Varland delivered a two-out pitch in the dirt. The ball bounced off home plate umpire Alan Porter high in the direction of the Texas on-deck circle. Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk couldn’t locate where it had landed. allowing pinch-runner Jarred Kelenic to score from second base. and Toronto fell to 22-24 at home.
Schneider didn’t hide the discomfort of it.
“It’s a terrible feeling when you don’t know where it is,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can, pointing and screaming which way the ball went.”
The upcoming series adds another emotional thread. The Mets will arrive in Toronto after winning only once in their last eight outings. Bo Bichette, who left via free agency in the off-season, will be in town with a seven-game hit streak. He is batting .254 with 10 homers and 46 RBI.
Schneider said it will be strange—if not exactly bittersweet—to see Bichette again.
“It will be nice to see him, but as far as Bo being here, for as good as he was here, I’m diving into the Blue Jays way more than I am saying hi to him,” Schneider said. “No offence to Bo.”
Between the urgency of the losing streak and the message Schneider is sending about Guerrero’s role, the Blue Jays now have a simple task for Monday: make sure the work in the cage turns into runs in the game—before the season-worst stretch gets any longer.
Toronto Blue Jays John Schneider Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Mets Texas Rangers Rogers Centre losing streak Nathan Lukes Louis Varland Alejandro Kirk Jarred Kelenic Alan Porter Bo Bichette