OverDrive - Matheson on Judge’s Injury, the Jays’ inconsistent offense, and Schneider’s role in finding success

Episode Date: June 5, 2026

MLB.com Blue Jays Reporter joined OverDrive to discuss how the Aaron Judge injury will affect the AL East, the inconsistency of the Jays’ offense, John Schneider’s role in the team trying to find success and the Jays’ injury situation.

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Matheson from MLB.com. What do you make of the judge news, Keegan, and how much buzz does that kind of create around the Jays, Orioles, et cetera, going into a weekend like this? Big time, fellows, outside of maybe Shoha Tani, like this is the biggest injury news you can get in baseball, and anything that happens in New York is going to get multiplied, right? So in the American League East, the Yankees have been running away with it along with the raise. This can tighten things up. Now, granted, when Aaron Judge missed some time over the last couple of years, the Yankees were just fine. It all worked out. And if he needs to miss even more time, I think the Yankees will go out and be very bold on the trade market. We've seen that over and over again.

But it doesn't help them. There's no silver lining here if you're a Yankees fan. And for a team like the Blue Jays who are desperate to get back into it, and who still guys, I think even after last year, they still look at the Yankees as kind of the long-term big brother in this division. it's still always the Yankees chasing. This is a big opening. And like you were talking about, Hayes off the top, of World Cup's coming up. But a month from now, a little over a month from now,

World Cup's over, NBA's over, NHL is over. The Blue Jays can position themselves after a weird start as still the hot story of the summer. Man, it's still right there in front of them, and if they can beat the Yankees, that'll only help. Tell me the offensive outburst last night, Kegan is a start of great things to come. I know there was like some C stuff down in Buffalo.

Like, just tell me that this is going to create some mojo instead of the last couple weeks where it's been like, get back into it, kind of slip around a wild card, and then just lose three or four in a row. And then people are throwing their arms up. And it's like, what in the heck is going on here? I like you too much to lie to, oh, Doug. Come on now. You don't, you're not buying into it. It's been so strange because they are hitting ACE. Remember when Paul Skeens was here in Toronto a couple of weeks ago.

They hit Paul Skeens as hard as he's been hit all year. Then they get Chris Sale, the best pitcher in that series. He's the guy they hit. It seems like the Blue Jays are playing up to the level of the starter they're facing, which I mean like start the playoffs tomorrow. Maybe they'd win the whole thing. But they need to figure out how to go out and mash against a pitcher that sucks. And they haven't been doing that lately,

which is why this has been so confusing to figure out. The guys they're supposed to. hit hard, they're not. And the great pitchers they're figuring out. So this whole season, guys, I think we know, it hasn't found its level yet. It's this weird two-month stumble that they're in. And I keep coming back to the fact that you need your big dogs, which for me is flatty, obviously, but George Springer, Alejandro Kirk as well. None of those three hitters are playing like they should be Kirk, not even healthy right now. You need that back to be really on a run. But hey, it's a good start, good news in the injury front with Dill and C so might not even need another rehab start.

So maybe we're getting closer, but I think the 2026 Blue Jays have taught us to wait until we see it to really believe it. Yeah, and I think that's appropriate. And, you know, they obviously lose the series in Atlanta. They got the win last night. You know, Vladi, we talk about him every time you're on, but he just doesn't allow for anything but that type of topic because of how poorly he's playing. And obviously it was on Saturday, I think, or a couple of days ago, when he in Valenzuela got mixed up with that kind of, you know, fly ball, pop fly, whatever it was.

And then he was lazy running a second yesterday in the fifth. Ball gets bobbled. He ends up getting out. I think he would have been there if he actually broke loose, you know, right off the bat. And John Snyder just, you know, never seems to lose it on his guys, at least publicly. And that's always been his approach. do you sense that that will continue with Schneider? Do you sense that he's getting close to a public outburst?

Is that in his DNA? Is it possible for him to do that? Where do you stand on the manager and how he's handling a lot of fundamental issues with the team? It's in the DNA, fellas. I've seen that guy get redder than I've ever been in my life. It's in there. It's in there somewhere.

But he doesn't like to do it to the media. And that's smart, honestly. I know that after most games, listen, I post and write about what John Schneider tells us, what he says to me is a heck of a lot different than what he is saying to Vladden in the clubhouse. And I know this. Like I've had players before tell me that like what Snyder comes in and says to us and comes to your locker and says to you, that's way different than what's out there publicly. And that's a good thing. I think if you play that the right way,

but eventually fans, understandably so, want to hear their frustration also expressed by someone on the field or in that dug in. And like you said, Hayes from Flattie, that miscommunication on the pop-up, wasn't busting it's a second there whatsoever. If you're not doing the big things, you need to do the small things. Absolutely must. If you're the last player on the roster, that's how you keep a job. If you're one of the highest paid players in baseball, that's how you keep leading the team. Those small things have got to happen, and they're not.

It's so strange to look at Vladdy's season, we're still talking about a 300 hitter, who's close to an 800 OPS, and it doesn't feel like it, because this is Vladdy. You know, if one of the last players on the roster, three home runs exactly and we're in June fellas I cannot believe this three home runs in June and I know he's turning on some doubles

I know he's getting base hits lately Vladdy will be back and he has said this Vladdy will be back when he can turn on a home run stand at home plate watch every inch of that ball flight and then jog up for the first baseline like until he really

showboats one he's not back you'll know it when you see it but we have not seen it yet guys and yeah when it comes it comes good and it comes heavy but it hasn't happened yes you know it's a landslide when it happens but it's got to happen it's true i agree you mentioned the injuries a lehandro kirk i believe has played in dunedin what's the timeline because i think he's a pulse guy that they need back in the lineup pulse guy is exactly it noodles like alhandro kirk outside of flattie when he's at his best i think it might be the most important player in this organization because of the impact he has on the whole pitching staff.

And I think that Alejandro Kirk, when I think of a Blue Jays hitter, like their style of offense, it's Alejandro Kirk, a guy who is reliable, who will always put the ball in play, and who every once in a while is going to hit a home run. Like, that's who the Blue Jays are when they're great. And Alejandro Kirk embodies that so well. And what he does with the pitching staff guys, like, I cannot overstate it. So right now he has a few at-bats down single-A. They'll play there a little bit more. He'll get up AAA. let's say a week. You know, within this week, maybe late next week,

we're talking about Alhander Kirk coming back. Then, who do you keep, Valenzuela or Heinemann? I think Valenzuela earns that job. But Alhander Kirk, that comeback, I cannot exaggerate how big of a comeback that will be. I think it really shifts this whole roster into place, guys. Yep, big time. Great stuff, Kagan.

Have a great weekend down there. We'll do it next week. You got her, fellas. Take care. Keegan Mathes and Jay's Orioles tonight. Go. New music. And the next big thing. Always on the new music first.

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