Latest news with #KeeganMatheson
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Facing Backlash From Blue Jays Fans During Yankees Game
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Facing Backlash From Blue Jays Fans During Yankees Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Toronto Blue Jays handed their superstar a 14-year, $500 million contract extension this season, but they have yet to get equal value in return. First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. entered Tuesday's bout with the New York Yankees slashing .279/.388/.439 with 13 homers and 48 RBI over 98 games. The 26-year-old's batting average was tied for 33rd in baseball, but he was tied for just 77th in homers. The Blue Jays did enter Tuesday four games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East, and a half-game behind the Detroit Tigers for the AL's top seed. However, they could run away with that top spot if Guerrero plays to his full potential. The 6-foot, 245-pounder slashed .323/.396/.544 with 30 homers and 103 RBI over 159 games last season. Blue Jays reporter Keegan Matheson expressed the team's need for Guerrero to be clutch during a big spot in the sixth inning on Tuesday, via social media. "This is where the Blue Jays need something from Vladimir Guerrero Jr," he said. "If his season-long numbers aren't going to be there, he needs to be timely." The veteran came to bat with a man on second and two outs in a 4-4 tie, but struck out swinging. Toronto fans weren't pleased. "Triple A, he is clowning around," one said. "Fan base remains unshocked with his lack of delivery," another said. "Keep dreaming, Keegan. Dude refuses to show up when needed the most," another said. "I said it before and again he's not the guy when it's needed," another said. "Sure he hits some balls to score runs but mostly when they are up already but most times swing and miss." "As much as I love him…He has zero clutch," another said. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blue Jays Provide Injury Update to All-Star Pitcher Alek Manoah on Monday
Blue Jays Provide Injury Update to All-Star Pitcher Alek Manoah on Monday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. While the Toronto Blue Jays continue to defend their top spot in the AL East, they were given some positive news on former All-Star pitcher Alek Manoah. Advertisement After undergoing Tommy John surgery for an elbow injury he sustained in a start against the Chicago White Sox back in May of 2024, Blue Jays insider Keegan Matheson reported that the 27-year-old has a chance of drawing his first rehab start in the coming days. "Alek Manoah is throwing to live hitters again tomorrow in Florida, simulating two innings. [John] Schneider says that after tomorrow, he'll either throw one more live session to his own hitters or move into his first rehab game. From there, a Spring Training-style ramp-up," Matheson posted to X. If Alek Manoah is able to return to his All-Star potential that Toronto saw from him in 2022, his presence in the pitching staff would only be great for the Blue Jays moving forward. Advertisement It seems as if Manoah is on pace for the Blue Jays' initial return timetable for him that is set for August, barring any setbacks in the rehab process. Before going down with his elbow injury early last season, Manoah was on pace for another solid season. Through five starts in 2024, Manoah had a 1-2 record, 3.70 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and tallied 26 strikeouts in 24.1 innings pitched. However his best season came in 2022, when he finished with a 16-7 record, 2.24 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and had 180 strikeouts in 196.2 innings pitched. Earning an All-Star bid in just his second season in the league. Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Alek ManoahDan Hamilton-Imagn Images With an MLB-leading eight-game win streak entering a series in which they travel to Chicago to take on the White Sox, the Blue Jays have been the hottest team in baseball in the month of July. Advertisement Toronto swept the then-AL East-leading New York Yankees to take over first place in the division, following that up with a three-game sweep over the Los Angeles Angels to begin the month. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blue Jays GM Announces Trade Plans Before Yankees Game
Blue Jays GM Announces Trade Plans Before Yankees Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Toronto Blue Jays have an opportunity to shake up the AL East in their upcoming series against the New York Yankees. They're three games behind them for first place ahead of their Monday night matchup at the Rogers Centre, which will start a four-game series. Advertisement Toronto would pass New York in the standings with a sweep. It's also 1.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for second place and two games ahead of the Seattle Mariners for the AL's second Wild Card spot. However, the organization won't settle for being in the playoff picture. General manager Ross Atkins revealed on Monday afternoon that the front office is looking for upgrades, via Keegan Matheson. Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Bowden Francis (44) and manager John Schneider (14)© Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images "Ross Atkins says the Blue Jays have been looking to add a right-handed bat," he reported. "Pitching depth sounds like another priority ahead of the deadline." "He adds that the Jays have had ownership support financially all along and that they should be able to 'continue to flex that muscle,'" he continued. Advertisement The MLB trade deadline is July 31 at 6 p.m. EST. Although Toronto is competitive in the standings, its -4 run differential ranks fourth in the division and eighth in the AL. Its 369 runs allowed ranks 10th in the AL, while its 365 runs scored ranks sixth. Right-handed pitcher Max Scherzer (0-0, 5.63 ERA) will make his third start of the season for the Blue Jays on Monday night after rehabbing a thumb injury. Southpaw Carlos Rodon (9-5, 2.92 ERA) will pitch for New York. Related: Blue Jays Third Baseman Turns Heads With Message Before Yankees Game Related: Blue Jays Fans Excited With Decision After Red Sox Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blue Jays Make Max Scherzer Decision Before White Sox Game
Blue Jays Make Max Scherzer Decision Before White Sox Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer (thumb) has pitched just one game for the Toronto Blue Jays this season, and they still own the AL's second Wild Card spot through 75 games. There's no telling how far they'll rise once the three-time Cy Young Award winner is back at full strength. Advertisement Scherzer's lone appearance this year came back on March 29 when he allowed two runs in three innings to the Baltimore Orioles. The 40-year-old threw just 45 pitches before leaving with soreness in his right lat muscle that stemmed from his thumb soreness. However, Scherzer is finally close to returning from the 60-day IL. Toronto manager John Schneider made a decision about the hurler's rehab before Saturday's bout with the Chicago White Sox, via Keegan Matheson. Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31)© Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images "Max Scherzer is throwing his bullpen session tomorrow now, not today," Matheson reported. "Schneider says the Blue Jays are 'feeling through it a bit' and just wanted to give him an extra day, which they have the option to do given how the rotation is set up next week," he continued. Scherzer will likely pitch either Tuesday or Thursday against the Cleveland Guardians, via Matheson. The right-hander isn't ready for 100-pitch outings yet, but he can handle 75. Advertisement Scherzer signed a one-year, $15.5 million contract with the Blue Jays in February, and their rotation has been shorthanded since he went down in March. Toronto is 1.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for second place in the AL East and three games behind the New York Yankees for first. Related: Blue Jays Dealt Unfortunate News Before White Sox Game Related: Blue Jays Receive Daulton Varsho News on Friday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Globe and Mail
11-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
New Blue Jays book sheds light on attempted Ohtani signing
Toronto Blue Jays brass used all the bells and whistles when they tried to land two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani in the fall of 2023. The once-in-a-lifetime pursuit of the Japanese free agent, as author Keegan Matheson writes in his new book, 'The Franchise: Toronto Blue Jays,' included taking Ohtani, his agent and interpreter at the time on a tour of the team's renovated player development complex, complete with a few special touches. Three lockers in the clubhouse were set aside for Ohtani, along with jerseys, gear, hats, bags and accessories. It was all part of an elaborate effort to sell him on the team. An impressed Ohtani — whose camp wanted total secrecy throughout the process — walked out of the Dunedin, Fla., facility with bags of team gear and a Blue Jays hat on his head, Matheson writes. Ohtani stopped to take pictures with his interpreter, who was also sporting some Toronto kit. The superstar's dog, 'Decoy,' came running out to join them in a Canadian dog jacket the Blue Jays had bought for him. 'I think that the presentation they gave Ohtani was incredibly impressive and they were not the No. 2 team just to be strung along and used as the other person at the bargaining table,' said Matheson. 'They were No. 2 because they almost signed him.' The behind-the-scenes colour and details from Matheson's interviews and descriptions bring an intriguing, memorable and downright surreal chapter in the team's near half-century history to life. Ohtani would eventually sign a 10-year, US$700-million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was a big blow for Canada's lone big-league team and its countrywide contingent of supporters. The Blue Jays would eventually sign a big fish of their own, locking up star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a 14-year extension last April worth a team record $500 million. The megadeal helped soothe any lingering pain from the Ohtani situation and also showed the franchise was willing to spend big in an effort to be a consistent contender. But that Ohtani off-season — from a bizarre Zoom call with general manager Ross Atkins to the erroneous report that Ohtani had chosen the Blue Jays and was on a plane to Toronto — was the 'strangest experience' Matheson expects to have as a reporter. 'The game that went into it was really fascinating,' Matheson said in a recent interview. 'Trying to operate in secrecy in a world where we want to know everything that's going on with your favourite team and with your favourite player. 'This was more of a TV drama and the amount of work that went into keeping it secret fascinates me.' The book also explores the team's early days, the playoff successes in the early 1990s, the near-misses in the previous decade, and many of the players — on and off the field — who made it all happen. The stories and anecdotes are not always the obvious ones. From players sipping chicken noodle soup at a frigid Exhibition Stadium, to amusing tales of manager-athlete dynamics, to the homecoming after a 670-day break between home games due to COVID-19, Matheson touches all the bases. 'Instead of asking a pitcher why he lost or asking someone why they struck out three times, this was an opportunity to ask someone, 'Hey, tell me about the best days of your life,'' said Matheson, who covers the team for 'Tell me about that memory that everyone always asks you about at the bar, at golf tournaments and coffee shops.' 'The Franchise: Toronto Blue Jays,' a 302-page book published by Triumph Books, is available now at a retail price of $38.
