In Flight: Blue Jays ride momentum into tough stretch

This is the 2024 campaign's fifth edition of "In Flight," where we take a bi-weekly look at the state of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Stats that tell the story

16.4%: Bo Bichette is finally starting to look like himself at the plate. After a dismal April in which he posted a .219 average with a .589 OPS, the shortstop rebounded in May by hitting .280/.321/.410. Bichette's making more contact than he has at any point and striking out just over 16% of the time, the lowest rate of his career.

The hard contact isn't quite there yet. But excluding a rough weekend against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Bichette has shown signs over the last few weeks that he's seeing the ball better and has put good at-bats together.

Bichette is capable of driving the offensive production he put up in an incredible September 2022 when he hit .403 with seven home runs. His offensive ceiling is as high as any shortstop in baseball.

.581: Jordan Romano's year got off to an ominous start when an elbow injury during spring training forced him to miss the beginning of the regular season. Romano didn't look like himself in 15 appearances upon returning, posting a 6.59 ERA and 1.46 WHIP with only 13 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings. His usually dominant slider didn't have the same effectiveness, as he allowed a .581 SLG and a pair of home runs after permitting a .338 SLG with only three homers last season.

Toronto placed Romano back on the 15-day injured list last weekend with elbow soreness. The hope is that the absence won't be long and that Romano will return to his past form. However, at age 31 and with an ongoing elbow issue, it's fair to wonder if that's realistic.

27.2%: The Blue Jays entered the season with a 49% chance to make the postseason for a third consecutive campaign. Their slow start has taken a major bite out of those odds as they now have an 21.8% chance to make it, a drop of nearly 30% from Opening Day. The AL East remains as competitive as ever, and the surprisingly tough AL Central has legitimate playoff contenders.

Water cooler conversation

What might the future hold for George Springer?

The Blue Jays recently slotted Springer into the No. 7 hole in the lineup, the first time he started a game in that spot and only his third career appearance there. Springer immediately made the move look good, posting a two-hit game against the Chicago White Sox, including a two-run homer.

The home run was particularly a welcome sight because he pulled a 93-mph fastball. Springer has struggled to get his hands in and drive the ball to left field this year like he's done throughout his career. The 34-year-old is pulling the ball 36.6% of the time and recording his lowest-ever average exit velocity. There are no easy answers if Springer can't find a higher production level. He has two additional years on his pact beyond 2024 at $25 million per season. It's hard to see the Blue Jays eating a huge chunk of that contract, but could there be a scenario where a team is open to acquiring Springer if Toronto is willing to retain some salary?

Vladdy gets reps at third base

In a move that surprised almost everyone, the Blue Jays started Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at third base Sunday for the first time since 2019. The 25-year-old struggled defensively that year, ranking in the first percentile in outs above average.

Manager John Schneider said Guerrero wasn't changing positions but could slot in at third base "a couple days out of a week and a half."

The Blue Jays' decision to have Guerrero playing third base is somewhat of an admission that the current roster isn't as flexible as they'd like. Guerrero at third enables Daniel Vogelbach to bat more against right-handed pitching or have one of the team's catchers available to DH. It'll be interesting to see how this unfolds over the coming weeks.

Would changing managers make a big difference?

Many Blue Jays fans are clamoring for the team to make a managerial change to boost the struggling club. We don't have to look far back into Toronto's past to see that move paying dividends. The Blue Jays fired Charlie Montoyo on July 13, 2022, after a 2-9 skid. They replaced him with Schneider, who led the team to a 46-28 record to secure the AL's first wild-card spot.

There's an argument that this Toronto roster could benefit from a different perspective or voice. There's also a case to be made that a managerial change wouldn't address the root of the problem.

General manager Ross Atkins reiterated his support for Schneider on Sunday, telling MLB Network Radio that he doesn't "believe in change to change and change for the sake of trying something different."

It's easy to look at coaching as one of the biggest culprits in the Blue Jays' offensive struggles. However, that lets the players off the hook. Maybe a new manager would unlock something in the team's slumping hitters, but the onus has to fall on the players at some point for not playing up to expectations.

City Connect uniforms finally released

After years of watching the rest of the league get new City Connect uniforms, the Blue Jays finally released their "Night Mode" theme.

The uniforms drew various reactions from fans, but the City Connect designs are supposed to be different and bold. It's hard to argue that these don't check those boxes.

They said what? 🍿

Schneider on Alek Manoah's elbow injury: "I'm not a medical doctor, but I think when you look at other cases around the league, yeah, he's going to miss some time. Exactly how much, not sure. I think just getting in person with a renowned doctor will shed a little bit more light on that and kind of go from there."

Bichette after dropping Tigers series: "We want to win. Stressed out or not stressed out, there's not really anything you can do about it. We've got to keep on coming and putting our best foot forward."

Chris Bassitt on urgency: "We don't have a year left to be really good. We have three months." (Courtesy: Chris Rose)

Pirates manager Derek Shelton on Springer's catch: "That changed the game. It's the best catch we've seen all year. He made an unbelievable play."

Moments that defined the stretch 👀

Schneider comes up clutch again

Davis Schneider already had a reputation for delivering in big moments. Tied 3-3 with the Pirates in the bottom of the 14th, Schneider blasted a walk-off two-run homer against right-hander Kyle Nicolas. The home run helped the Blue Jays maintain momentum, picking up a fourth consecutive win. It's hard to imagine where the Blue Jays would be without Schneider.

Gut punch in Detroit

It seems like when the Blue Jays score, the pitching falters. And when their pitching is sharp, the hitting is lacking. That was on full display in the series finale at Comerica Park in Detroit.

Toronto staged a furious comeback, taking an 11-9 lead in the eighth inning after Daulton Varsho's home run. But the bullpen failed to hold the edge, with Yimi García allowing his first runs in almost two months to tie the game. Things only got worse from there. Tigers outfielder Matt Vierling crushed a walk-off three-run homer on a hanging slider from Romano.

What's next? 🛬