The Blue Jays are still far from being a World Series contender, and the recent reports suggest that tensions might be brewing in the clubhouse.

The Jays started the new season with their elite starters in the IL. Trey Yesavage, José Berríos, and Shane Bieber all started the campaign on the injured list. It was Eric Lauer and Patrick Corbin who held the rotation in between. But as Lauer was seen wearing a tape on his neck on Wednesday, fans wondered if another injury was around the corner, only to get a feel of rift by how John Schneider responded.

“Didn’t hear anything about that until I saw it on him. So I checked with him, said he felt fine. Stuff was pretty light today, though, so we’ll see how he is.” MLB insider Hazel Mae quoted Schneider, revealing that John Schneider didn’t know if there was anything wrong with Lauer until he saw the tape behind his neck in the game.

This is something odd to believe that the team manager did not know about his starter’s injury. As the Jays went down against the Angels on Wednesday, Lauer was seen wearing a tape on his neck. After the game, Lauer only revealed that there was no injury scare and the tape was just to keep his posture right. However, he admitted that he has a pending neck issue as he faced a problem when sitting down.

“We’re trying to fix some things posture-wise,” said Lauer. “When I’m sitting, I’ve been having a little neck issue… It’s more like a reminder to keep my head back and make sure I’m not slouching or anything.”

So, the Jays’ manager not knowing this issue makes us wonder if it’s the continuation of the ongoing disagreement between the two.

Reportedly, when it comes to utilizing a pitcher across all roles in the team, Lauer would come first. Last year, he managed both the starting rotation and bullpen. This year, he was scheduled to start in the bullpen, but injuries to the starters caused the Jays to field Lauer in the rotation. That’s not all, last Friday, Schneider used Lauer from the second, sending Braydon Fisher as an opener against the D-Backs.

Lauer does not agree to these changes. “To be really blunt, I hate it. I can’t stand it. But you work with what you got … You can make it work the best you can … hopefully it’s not something that we will continue doing. But you know, that’s above my pay grade,” Lauer said.

Last year, Lauer recorded a 3.18 ERA. This year, in the absence of Yesavage, Lauer recorded a 1-3 record and 6.75 ERA. And as he intended to be a starter in the offseason, these varied roles are definitely not sitting well with him. “I respect everyone’s opinion,” Schneider rebuked. “My job is to put him in spots to try to have success. That’s what I try to do. He’s aware of that. He gets that.”

The Jays are currently ranked 4th in the AL East with a 10-14 record. They won only 6 games from the last 18, and amid this slump, disagreement with Lauer is not a positive sign. Schneider knows that and hence tried to make things normal.

But are they both on the same page anymore? We wonder especially after Schneider’s confession regarding Lauer’s injury scare.

Eric Lauer’s rough patch was made worse by the Jays’ bullpen

Despite Eric Lauer getting varied assignments since last year, his struggles on the mound are still evident. Following a nine-strikeout opening performance, Lauer couldn’t maintain his momentum. He walked 11 batters in 17 innings and gave away 120 hits. Additionally, he pitched in 5 games till now but couldn’t go beyond six innings, hinting at his reduced durability.

And the Jays’ bullpen, especially Jeff Hoffman, is making things worse after Lauer.

Ever since he surrendered that home run off Miguel Rojas in the 2025 World Series Game 7, he was never the same. This year, Hoffman has already blown 3 saves and recorded a 7.59 ERA from 12 appearances. He allowed 9 ERs and 8 walks in between, and in his last 4 appearances, he has allowed 7 ERs and 4 walks.