Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Génesis Cabrera has been suspended three games for shoving Tampa Bay Rays infielder José Caballero, leading benches to clear during Saturday's game at Tropicana Field.

Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reported Cabrera is appealing the suspension, so he is available for Sunday's series finale.

Umpires ejected Cabrera for getting physical after Caballero seemed to say something to the Jays reliever after being tagged out at third base in the seventh inning.

"It was more the heat of the moment. I think I kind of overreacted a little bit," Cabrera said via an interpreter. "He looked at me and I just reacted."

Benches cleared during the incident, but no punches were thrown. No one besides Cabrera was ejected.

"I'm just playing baseball. I try to have fun playing baseball. I enjoy what I do, and I don't want any problem with anyone," Caballero said. "But situations always come, and I didn't want it to go farther than what it was. And unfortunately, he didn't think the same way. But that's all."

Cabrera is in his second season with the Jays after coming over via midseason trade from the St. Louis Cardinals in 2023. He pitched 23 games last season with Toronto, posting a 2.66 ERA and 0.97 WHIP.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has never known the world without MLB The Show, so it's only fitting the Toronto Blue Jays slugger would get the chance to be on the cover for the new game.

The three-time All-Star was chosen as the cover athlete for MLB The Show 24, which released on Tuesday for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr is your 2024 @MLBTheShow cover star ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/WUJ7hDPDFA

— MLB (@MLB) January 30, 2024

It was a historic moment for the Guerrero family because his father, Vladimir Guerrero, was on the cover of MLB 2006 coming off his MVP season with the Los Angeles Angels.

The Guerreros are the first father-son duo to be cover athletes for MLB's flagship video-game series.

"It means a lot to me," Guerrero Jr. told B/R via Blue Jays' translator Hector "Tito" LeBron about being able to follow in his father's footsteps as a cover-athlete. "Since I was a kid, I always wanted to be like my father, to do the things that he did, to accomplish the things that he accomplished."

#MLBTheShow #RideToReveal pic.twitter.com/NUqerBKjSG

— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) January 30, 2024

Full circle moment for Vladdy! 🥹
#MLBTheShow #RideToRevealhttps://t.co/vGJG5kjolU pic.twitter.com/o0fXhP7hGB

— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) January 30, 2024

Looking ahead to the start of the 2024 MLB season, Guerrero knows the Blue Jays have a tall test awaiting them as they look to get back to the playoffs.

"The American League East, everyone knows, is one of the strongest divisions in the big leagues," he said. "You still gotta go to the field, and play to win. The games are won on the field. You respect the big names, but you still gotta go out there and compete and try to win the game. Everybody makes a move. We made good moves too. We'll see what happens when everybody takes the field.

Some of the moves made involving AL East clubs included the Baltimore Orioles trading for 2021 NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes and the New York Yankees acquiring three-time All-Star Juan Soto.

Those deals only strengthen a division that had four winning teams last season and no team win fewer than 78 games. The Blue Jays had a relatively quiet winter by comparison, though they were able to add Justin Turner as their new designated hitter. They also signed Joey Votto as a non-roster invitee to see if he can provide some pop to the lineup if he makes the club out of spring training.

The Blue Jays remain a strong postseason contender going into the season with a deep roster, led by Guerrero. One thing that has eluded him so far in his career is playoff success.

Despite making the playoffs three times in the past four years, the Blue Jays have failed to record a win in six games. Their last postseason victory was in Game 3 of the 2016 ALCS against Cleveland, which was also Guerrero's first full year in professional baseball.

"I always tell my family, tell my teammates, tell everyone that the key for the next step is to win a game," Guerrero said when asked about what's been missing for Toronto in the playoffs. "Once we win a game, that first one, the pressure will be off and we'll be able to go on a good run."

Toronto hasn't been the only team that has endured recent playoff heartbreak. In the aftermath of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves, who have won at least 100 games in each of the past two seasons, lost in the Division Series both times.

Because powerhouse regular-season teams like the Braves and Dodgers are losing early in the playoffs, it has to some arguments that the 10-team format is unfair.

As a player who experience the highs and lows inherent in playing a full season, Guerrero understands sometimes things happen in the postseason that can lead to a quick exit because there's very little time to make adjustments in a short series compared to a regular-season schedule.

"The regular season is 162 games. You have time to bounce back from a poor start, losing streak or if you don't play well or start cold. In a playoff series, you don't have that. So, either you start hot or you start hot," he joked.

Another victory that has been eluding Guerrero, though perhaps not as important as one in October, is against his father when they play video games head-to-head. The 25-year-old has said his father "always beat me" when they used to square off.

Due to the timing of MLB The Show 24's release and how deep the Blue Jays are into spring training, the Guerreros haven't had a chance to sit down and play each other to see who the better gamer is now.

But the showdown is coming.

"I guarantee you as soon as I get to the Dominican, we're gonna sit down and we're gonna play," Guerrero said.

Considering the accolades Guerrero has been racking up since entering MLB in 2019, including a Home Run Derby title, Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards, it's safe to assume the younger Guerrero will be ready to take on the challenge from his father.

Veteran first baseman Joey Votto agreed to a non-roster invite with the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.

I am excited about the opportunity to work my way back to the Major Leagues. It’s even sweeter to attempt this while wearing the uniform of my hometown team, the Toronto Blue Jays. https://t.co/s7xEFLKe8V

— Joey Votto (@JoeyVotto) March 8, 2024

Keegan Matheson of MLB.com noted the deal is for $2 million and can feature an additional $2 million in incentives.

The Cincinnati Reds set the stage for the six-time All-Star to play for a different team when they declined his $20 million club option for 2024, citing the fact they "cannot commit to the playing time Joey deserves."

The #Reds today declined the 2024 club option on the contract of 1B Joey Votto. pic.twitter.com/ACika5Oum7

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) November 4, 2023

That rationale seemingly shut the door on a reunion between the two sides for a lower salary than his club option would've paid out.

For his part, Votto said on The Dan Patrick Show in October he intended to keep playing for "at least one more year." His mindset was independent of whatever the Reds ultimately decided.

It wasn't hard to see why Cincinnati preferred to move on from one of the greatest hitters in franchise history.

Votto performed as you'd expect most players who turned 40 in September would. In 65 games, he had a .202/.314/.433 slash line and finished with 14 home runs, 38 RBI and a 99 OPS+.

His 2023 debut was delayed until mid-June as he continued to recover from offseason shoulder surgery. Immediately after returning, the 2010 National League MVP rolled back the years. He hit three homers and drove in seven runs in his first four games back.

Votto was unable to sustain that, and his performance dovetailed with that of the Reds to some degree. Cincinnati was nine games over .500 coming out of the All-Star break and looked like a playoff contender. The team wound up 82-80 and two games out of a wild-card berth.

The Blue Jays will have manageable expectations when it comes to the surefire Hall of Famer.

Perhaps Votto's production will improve as long as he avoids the shoulder trouble that dogged him over the past two seasons. But his walk rate has declined each year since 2021, and his strikeout rate has climbed well above his career average during that time.

It's a typical trend for most aging sluggers. When they fail to get on base as frequently as they once did, they compensate by taking bigger swings, which causes the strikeouts to pile up. Toward the end of his run with the Los Angeles Angels, Albert Pujols remained a threat to hit 20 home runs but saw his on-base percentage regularly fall below .300.

In the case of Votto, it speaks to his impressive longevity that he could put in one of the worst years of his career and still basically be a league-average hitter.

If he can carry that over into 2024, this will be a worthwhile move for Toronto.

If nothing else, the upcoming season will be a great celebration of Canadian baseball.

Once he became a free agent, Toronto was one of the more logical landing spots for Votto, who's a native of the city. The team also stood to benefit from adding some punch behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. between the first base and designated hitter slots in the lineup.

Brandon Belt performed well in the role in 2023 but is currently a free agent. Now, the Blue Jays will hope Votto can repeat that success.

The four-year-old son of Erik Swanson is expected to leave the hospital "in the next day or two" after being struck by a car on February 25, the Toronto Blue Jays pitcher told reporters Thursday.

"I stand here very happily telling you that in the next day or two, he should probably be going home," Swanson said, per Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith. "Based off of the situation, we're very, very lucky with everything that happened and the outcome of where we're at now."

Toby Swanson was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition after being struck by an SUV piloted by a valet driver from the nearby Opal Sands Resort in Clearwater, Florida, according to ESPN and the Tampa Bay Times' Dan Sullivan.

Swanson's son left the pediatric intensive care unit at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, on February 28, according to an Instagram post from Madison Swanson.

When speaking to reporters Thursday, Swanson praised his son's courage and his wife's strength.

He also thanked Clearwater first responders and the children's hospital staff for their work, as well as fans, teammates and the Blue Jays organization for their well wishes, according to Nicholson-Smith.

"We feel the support," Swanson said, per Nicholson-Smith. "We felt everybody's prayers, everybody's thoughts. We feel it all and it's made this process a little bit easier with as difficult a situation as it has been. Blue Jays fans, and not just Blue Jays fans, but baseball fans around the entire league. Other teams in the league have reached out. It's been pretty amazing."

Several Jays players visited Toby in the St. Petersburg hospital, including fellow bullpen member Jordan Romano, according to Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun.

Swanson rejoined the Blue Jays on March 1, according to theToronto Star's Mike Wilner. He is heading into his second season as a closer in Toronto after spending the first four years of his MLB career with the Seattle Mariners.

Free agent third baseman Matt Chapman has agreed to a three-year contract worth $54 million with the San Francisco Giants after two seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

The San Francisco Giants, as expected, sign third baseman Matt Chapman. He receives 3-year, $54 million deal, per @JonHeyman, including two opt-outs.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 2, 2024

Toronto previously extended a $20.325 million qualifying offer on Monday, Nov. 6, but Chapman declined that offer to enter free agency as expected.

The 30-year-old Chapman began his career with the Oakland Athletics in 2017. He proceeded to finish seventh in the American League MVP voting in 2018 and sixth in 2019 as he showcased his talents at the plate and in the field. Chapman made his lone All-Star team in 2019 and earned Gold Gloves in 2018, 2019, and 2021.

After the 2021 season, the Athletics gutted their team and either traded or let go of their top players, including 2023 MLB home run leader Matt Olson.

Chapman also left town in March 2022 via a trade to the Toronto Blue Jays, who then signed him to a two-year, $25 million contract extension. That deal bought out his remaining two arbitration years, making him eligible for free agency before 2022.

Chapman, a two-time Platinum Glove winner, is one of the best defensive third basemen in baseball. He's also showcased some pop at the dish with 27 home runs apiece during the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

Unfortunately, Chapman has also experienced his fair share of struggles at the dish, hitting just .226 over the past four seasons. He's made up for it with his power, posting an above-average .748 OPS during that span.

The second half of the 2023 campaign brought offensive struggles for Chapman, who had just five home runs, 15 RBI, a .205 average and .663 OPS in 52 games over the second half of the season. Chapman notably missed some time with a right middle finger sprain.

For the year, he had 17 homers, 54 RBI, a .240 batting average and a .755 OPS.

Ultimately, Chapman still fortifies the third base spot for the Giants. His defensive dominance more than makes up for any offensive concerns, and he's routinely been one of the best at his position in the American League during his career. That shouldn't change now.

The Giants' interest in Chapman has been well-known for some time. On Nov. 15, Jon Heyman of the New York Post spoke with Lauren Shehadi of MLB Network (2:45 mark) and stated the Giants had already talked with Chapman about him playing in San Francisco. He cited the connection between Chapman and Giants manager Bob Melvin, who was notably in Oakland with the third baseman from 2017-2021.

Now Chapman is officially aboard for a Giants team that found itself in the NL Wild Card race before fading down the stretch and finishing 79-83. It's been tough sledding for San Francisco since an excellent 107-win campaign in 2021 that unfortunately ended with an NLDS loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. San Francisco went 81-81 the following year before dipping below .500 in 2023.

The Giants hope Chapman can provide some much-needed pop to the lineup (dead-last in OPS in the National League last season) while improving their defense at third (fifth-worst fielding percentage in MLB).

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Erik Swanson's four-year-old son has been released from intensive care after being struck by a car in Florida on Sunday.

Madison Swanson, Erik's wife, posted an update about their son's status on her Instagram Story (h/t ESPN.com):

"The most important update is that Toby is out of the PICU, and we are continuing to take it day by day. God is so good, and we are so blessed. We are so grateful for the speedy first responders to the accident, to the pedestrians that helped as we waited the next step, and to the AMAZING staff at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital. Someone has truly been watching over my little man."

Blue Jays manager John Schneider announced Tuesday at the team's spring training complex that Swanson would be away from the club to tend to his family after his son was hit by a car in Clearwater, Florida, over the weekend.

"Thanks to the incredible work from the Clearwater first responders, Toby is on the road to recovery and is surrounded by his family," Schneider said.

Jennifer Kveglis of Fox 13 in Tampa noted the city of Clearwater reported Toby Swanson was in critical condition at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg.

Madison wrote in her post they were "overwhelmed with love and support over the past few days," and it "has gotten our little boy through all this."

Erik Swanson is entering his second season with the Blue Jays. He was acquired from the Seattle Mariners as part of the Teoscar Hernández trade in November 2022.

The right-hander finished the 2023 season with a 2.97 ERA, 75 strikeouts and a career-high four saves in 66.2 innings.

Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Erik Swanson has temporarily left the team after his four-year-old son was struck by a car Sunday in Clearwater, Florida.

Manager John Schneider told reporters Tuesday that Toby Swanson was airlifted to a nearby hospital and is "on the road to recovery."

"I have two boys that are seven and five and it hits home," he said, per Sportsnet's Shi Davidi. "Baseball's baseball. So you pray and you hope for the best. And thankfully, that's been the case so far. You realize how quickly things can change. And you don't take things for granted."

The Blue Jays opened spring training on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Swanson has yet to appear in any of their three contests so far.

It's unclear when the 30-year-old is expected to be back. Schneider told reporters he "will be away from the team for a while," which could mean he misses a large chunk or perhaps all of spring training. Opening Day is scheduled for March 28 against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Blue Jays acquired Swanson as part of the Teoscar Hernández trade in November 2022. He appeared in 69 games for them in 2023, posting a 2.97 ERA and a 3.51 FIP while striking out 75 batters in 66.2 innings.

Once he's with the team again, Swanson figures to be one of the primary setup men before Schneider hands the ball to closer Jordan Romano in the late innings.

Sony San Diego dropped a new trailer for MLB The Show 24 highlighting the gameplay in the newest entry to the long-running franchise.

The 30-second clip also showcased some stars who changed teams in the offseason, with the Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, New York Yankees' Juan Soto and Houston Astros' Josh Hader briefly featured.

Among the changes to MLB The Show 24, the bases will be a little bigger to align with the new sizing introduced last season. Developers also included "roughly 400 new animations and logic improvements meticulously address any remaining areas needing attention focusing on fielder urgency."

The pitching mechanics have been tweaked as well. When utilizing Pinpoint Pitching, the interface will be flipped with a left-handed pitcher compared to a right-hander. Four pitching gestures have been added, and developers raised the difficulty of throwing sinkers after receiving feedback from the MLB The Show community.

MLB The Show 24 launches March 19 or March 15 for those who purchase early access.

Among the game modes, this year's installment continues to build on the inclusion of the Negro Leagues stars and their rich history from MLB The Show 23. In addition, New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter is the focus of a Storylines mode that allows gamers to relive pivotal moments in his Hall of Fame career.

Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Tim Mayza was helping his team out on Saturday, but it wasn't from his usual spot on the mound.

Mayza served as the Blue Jays' bat boy during Toronto's spring training game against the Philadelphia Phillies as a punishment for coming in last place in the team's fantasy football league.

Tim Mayza is the Blue Jays' bat boy today as a fantasy football punishment 💀

(via @Sportsnet)pic.twitter.com/e9txJ68IGK

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) February 24, 2024

As part of the punishment, Mayza had to rock a unique jersey with his fantasy team's record on it, which was 4-10.

Perhaps the punishment will be good motivation for Mayza next season as he looks to have a better finish in fantasy football.

For now, he'll be focused on helping the Blue Jays rack up wins. Mayza is coming off a year where he notched a career-best 1.52 ERA, registering 53 strikeouts across 69 innings.

The Blue Jays had a decent 89-73 season last year, but they were bounced in the wild-card round for a second straight season.