PHOENIX, AZ – APRIL 17: John Schneider #14 of the Toronto Blue Jays looks on from the dugout prior to the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Friday, April 17, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Toronto Blue Jays suffered a loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday but that seemed to be the least of their worries.
The game also featured some injury scares for two key players in a season that has been marked by numerous setbacks across the roster.
“A disappointing start to the Toronto Blue Jays’ season took a darker turn Sunday, May 24 when the club lost slugger Vladimir Guerrero and No. 2 starter Dylan Cease to injury in the same game,” Gabe Lacques reported for USA Today. “That’s $710 million worth of salary departing their series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates…”
Directly after the game, the team indicated that both stars might have avoided the worst in their injuries, but it was still a reminder of just how disappointing this season has been so far for a team that made it all the way to Game 7 of the World Series last year.
And not all of the team’s problems can be attributed to the surge of injuries.
Toronto Blue Jays’ $60 Million Star Kazuma Okamoto Stuck In Concerning Slump
After the Blue Jays brought in Japanese veteran infielder Kazuma Okamoto and parted ways with longtime franchise shortstop Bo Bichette, it seemed like their batting order might take a step back overall.
And while Okamoto has enjoyed some impressive production from the plate, he was mired in a concerning 0-for-18 slump with a dozen strikeouts going into Sunday’s game. Up to this point, Okamoto’s first season in the majors has been a roller coaster for a team that’s looking for more sustained success.
“The six-time NPB all-star in Japan started his North American baseball life with a six-game hit streak that included two home runs,” Mike Wilner noted for the Toronto Star. “Over his next dozen games, Okamoto hit just .133. After that he batted a scorching .375 with three homers over seven games, followed by a 2-for-17 skid, then five home runs in five games to kick off a 10-game hit streak during which he batted .333.”
Toronto Blue Jays Skipper Sends Kazuma Okamoto Message As Concerns Mount
As the third baseman’s adjustment to the major leagues continues in the first season of his four-year, $60 million contract, manager John Schneider sent an encouraging message after he logged a hit on Sunday.
“I thought he took better swings today,” Schneider said. “Really just missed the first-pitch curveball (on a fourth-inning fly out) and hit the double to right-center. Just trying to stay closed a little bit more and allow him to use that opposite-field power.”
Schneider alluded to the ongoing adjustments the team is making with Okamoto as he attempts to replace Bichette in a struggling batting order. The team’s hitting coaches recently had him raise his hands in his stance, for instance.
“I’m not exactly sure if that’s the direct result, the double,” Okamoto said of the hit that broke his concerning drought at the plate, through a translator, per Wilner. “Just finding what’s best for me and getting comfortable with it. Just trying to find something that works.”
As Okamoto grows more comfortable with his new team, the Blue Jays are hoping he can help fans forget about Bichette by contributing to another deep playoff run this year.