Blue Jays’ John Schneider Announces Daulton Varsho News After Loss to Guardians

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Ayomide P. Adeduyite | Last updated May 4, 2025 5:53 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays entered Sunday's series finale against the Cleveland Guardians aiming to rebound from a disappointing 5-3 loss on Saturday, where Daniel Schneemann's ninth-inning grand slam overturned a late lead. However, the team suffered a second consecutive defeat, falling 5-4 to the Guardians and dropping the series.

In Sunday's matchup, the Blue Jays nearly erased an early 4-0 deficit with a three-run fourth inning. Toronto's bullpen then struggled to contain Cleveland's offense, surrendering another run in the ninth, and the Blue Jays couldn't overcome the deficit.

Compounding matters, Gold Glove center fielder Daulton Varsho was a late scratch after being in the initial starting lineup.

Following the loss, Blue Jays manager John Schneider indicated that Varsho could have played through the discomfort but the team opted for caution, especially considering his recent return from shoulder surgery.

Schneider expressed optimism about Varsho's availability following Monday's off day.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider says Daulton Varsho potentially could have pushed through his lower back tightness today but club didn’t want to risk it so soon after his return from injury

Hope is Varsho will be good to go after Monday’s off day
— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) May 4, 2025

Varsho's absence was felt, as his defensive prowess and offensive contributions have been integral to the team's performance. Since returning from injury, he has posted a .300 batting average with two home runs and three RBIs, along with an impressive 1.362 OPS.

The Blue Jays (16-18) will look to regroup as they prepare to head out west to face the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday. With Varsho's potential return and a focus on tightening bullpen performance, Toronto aims to reverse their recent fortunes and climb back above .500.

Perhaps the struggling Angels will be the right opponent to help them do just that.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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