The Toronto Blue Jays cannot seem to stop losing. They lost 7-1 against the Tampa Bay Rays at the Rogers Centre on Monday night.
With the loss, Toronto’s record fell to 46-54. The club is now 11 1/2 games back of the Rays for first place in the American League East and 5 1/2 games back of the Boston Red Sox for the third American League Wild Card spot.
After Monday night’s loss, Toronto manager John Schneider got candid about the Blue Jays’ struggles.
John Schneider Gets Candid About Toronto Blue Jays’ Struggles After Rays Loss
GettyPHOENIX, ARIZONA – APRIL 18: Manager John Schneider #14 of the Toronto Blue Jays watches the action during the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on April 18, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
While Schneider obviously wants the Blue Jays to win, he isn’t concerned about the effort from his club.
“You guys probably want me to get [ticked] off or the fans want me to get [ticked] off, and if they were going after this in a way they shouldn’t, then I’d be [ticked] off,” Schneider said to reporters, including MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson, after Monday’s loss. “But you can’t be.”
“Get ready to play tomorrow against a tough pitcher and compete your [butt] off. If these guys weren’t doing that, I’d be [ticked],” Schneider added. “I’m frustrated with (alongside) them. I’m not mad at them, I’m frustrated with them.”
Toronto Blue Jays’ Offense Struggling Mightily in 2026
GettyTORONTO, ON – JULY 20: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after flying out in the first inning during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre on July 20, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
The Blue Jays have struggled immensely at the plate this season. Toronto ranks last among all 30 teams in runs scored at 398.
It’s an unexpected development that the Blue Jays have struggled at the plate as much as they have this season. Last year, Toronto ranked fourth in runs scored and was just two outs away from winning the World Series before Miguel Rojas hit a game-tying homer in Game 7 of the Fall Classic.
The Blue Jays’ pitching has been solid this season, as the club ranks 12th in ERA at 4.15. The main issue for Toronto this year has been its lack of offensive production.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who signed a $500 million contract extension with Toronto last year, is hitting just .259/.342/.353 while dealing a back issue this season. Additionally, George Springer has a poor .692 OPS in 69 games. The only Blue Jays hitters with at least 220 plate appearances and an OPS above 100 this year are Ernie Clement, Kazuma Okamoto, Jesús Sánchez and Nathan Lukes.
What’s Next for the Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays have three more games in their current series against the Rays. Game 2 is scheduled to begin at 7:07 p.m. EDT on Tuesday.
Right-hander Kevin Gausman (4-8, 4.33 ERA, 116 SO, 112 1/3 IP) is slated to start for Toronto on Tuesday. Right-hander Drew Rasmussen (7-5, 3.26 ERA, 98 SO, 99 1/3 IP) is expected to start for Tampa Bay.
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