Blue Jays manager says exactly what the fans needed to hear after awful stretch

The Toronto Blue Jays started the 2026 season on the right foot. They went 4-1 in their first five games, which included a three-game sweep over the Athletics. Everything for the Blue Jays was smooth sailing to kick off the campaign.

However, the Blue Jays have been struggling big time since their solid start, having lost each of their last four games and were shockingly swept by the Chicago White Sox. Due to their struggles, they now have a 4-5 record and are third in the American League East.

It has simply been a horrible stretch for the Blue Jays, and manager John Schneider got transparent about it following Toronto's getting swept by the White Sox.

Blue Jays' John Schneider gets real about the team's recent struggles

While speaking to MLB.com's Keegan Matheson, Schneider had a clear message for the Blue Jays that their fans should appreciate. "We've got to get back to playing baseball," Schneider said. "It doesn't matter who you're playing, where you're playing or what time you're playing them, if you don't play your baseball, good things don't happen."

It is hard to disagree with Schneider's take here. There is no question that the Blue Jays need to be better if they hope to get out of this major skid. Luckily, the season is still incredibly young, so the Blue Jays have plenty of time to bounce back.

Last season, the Blue Jays had a similarly slow start. They were 14-16 at the end of April, and were still a .500 club on May 29, before they took off in June. So there is absolutely no reason to panic, but the frustrations are warranted, Blue Jays fans, like Schneider, would like to see a better brand of baseball that this team is capable of playing. Especially when it comes against two teams like the Rockies and the White Sox who both lost over 100 games last season.

However, if the Blue Jays do not respond to Schneider's message and continue to lose, it could end up being a tough season in Toronto. Not only has it been a tough start on the field because of the results, but the number of injuries they have had to endure in the early part hasn't helped matters. They lost Cody Ponce, Alejandro Kirk, and potentially Addison Barger all within the first nine games of the season.

The Blue Jays will now be aiming to bounce back during their upcoming three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. This will undoubtedly be a must-watch series between last year's World Series opponents, and the Blue Jays will be looking to get their revenge.