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The ‘trash’ that led to Blue Jays ‘John Schneider yanking player from loss to Twins
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- The ‘trash’ that led to Blue Jays ‘John Schneider yanking player from loss to Twins
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The Toronto Blue Jays lost to the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, ending the series with a four-game split. Blue Jays manager John Schneider pulled catcher Tyler Heineman from the game in the sixth inning. Schneider said it was a "manager's decision" and did not explain further. Heineman has a pretty good idea of the situation, as he told Sportsnet's Shi Davidi after the game.
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"Tyler Heineman said it was 'just situation, everything that's been going on, and I just didn't get it done. Manager's decision. I stick by it. One of the best managers in the game, the best manager I played for. He has a reason for everything he does. And I fully support him,'" Davidi reported.
Heineman made the last out of the top of the sixth inning, flying out to left field. When the Blue Jays' defense took the field in the bottom of the inning, Brandon Valenzuela was behind the plate. Heineman spoke about that last at-bat, "That at-bat was pretty trash. I popped up on a pitch I should have drove. I've been pretty crappy the last, I don't know, 10 games or so. Probably saw something that he shouldn't have saw or that I did wrong, and he made his decision."
Heineman has a dismal .398 OPS on the season after an 0-for-3 day. Alejandro Kirk is the franchise catcher for the Blue Jays , but he has been on the injured list since April 4 with a fractured hand. That has thrust Heineman into the spotlight, which has been a major issue for the struggling Jays.
Sunday's loss dropped the Blue Jays to 16-18 on the season, seven games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East race. They won the division and nearly won the World Series a year ago, but none of that magic has followed into 2026. Can this benching be the turnaround moment for the Jays?
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