John Schneider Reacts To Unfortunate Blue Jays Injury News
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider has provided an update on Jesús Sánchez after the outfielder exited Sunday's game against the Baltimore Orioles following an unusual incident involving a baseball thrown by a fan. Sánchez exited Toronto's 9-5 loss at Camden Yards in the sixth inning after a ball struck his wrist while he stood in right field between innings.
According to Baltimore Sun reporter Jacob Calvin-Meyer, Schneider described the situation as an unfortunate misunderstanding rather than anything intentional. The manager noted that a baseball entering the field during live play should never happen, but he did not believe the young fan intended to cause harm.
Schneider revealed that he decided to remove Sánchez after noticing that he struggled to squeeze the hand of a Blue Jays staff member during the on-field evaluation. That prompted the team to take extra precautions and send him for imaging.
John Schneider on the incident that resulted in a fan hitting Jesus Sanchez on the wrist with a ball:
— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) May 31, 2026
"I'm sure the kid feels bad. I'm assuming there's no ill intent there. But yeah, just ball coming on the field during the inning is something that shouldn't happen." https://t.co/pfUlVUcC5n
Despite the scare, Schneider revealed after the game that X-rays came back negative, easing concerns about a potentially serious injury. Sánchez explained after the game that he never intended to start a game of catch and simply looked toward the fans during the inning break.
The 28-year-old said the fan likely misunderstood his actions and believed he wanted the ball returned. Sánchez added that he held no ill feelings toward the fan and viewed the incident as an honest mistake. While he admitted his wrist still felt sore after the game, he expressed confidence that the injury was not serious.
The bizarre incident happened before the bottom of the sixth inning as Sánchez walked toward his position in right field and interacted briefly with fans near the stands. Video showed him gesturing with his glove while speaking with spectators.
A 13-year-old fan thought Sánchez wanted to play catch and tossed the ball toward him after misreading the interaction. The ball struck Sánchez on the wrist as he turned away. He immediately showed signs of discomfort and grabbed his wrist.
Schneider quickly came out to check on him, and the Blue Jays eventually removed him from the game after determining he could not comfortably use his hand. Stadium personnel later removed the teenager from the game.
The injury overshadowed another productive day from Sánchez, who has become an important part of Toronto's lineup. Entering Sunday, the 28-year-old carried a .285 batting average and a .786 OPS.
He also continued to provide much-needed power for the Blue Jays after recently hitting his first career grand slam against his former team, the Miami Marlins. Over a 16-game stretch before Sunday, he hit .409 with six doubles, two home runs and 12 RBIs.
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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 8:00 AM.