John Schneider had an unhappy pitcher on his hands following Friday's loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, but the Toronto Blue Jays manager appears to have defused any tension created by Eric Lauer's post-game comments.
Lauer came out of the bullpen behind opener Braydon Fisher in Toronto's 6-3 loss to Arizona, something he told reporters that he hates doing.
"I can't stand it," he said. "You work with what you got. Part of it, too, we're trying to mix some things up. We're trying to find ways to win, so I think it's a game plan we had, and I think we went out there and tried to execute the best we could."
Lauer ultimately took the loss on Friday, allowing three earned runs over five innings of work.
But after entering in the second inning, he complained that following an opener disrupts his routine as a starter and is "hopefully, not something that (the Blue Jays) will continue doing."
Ahead of Toronto's game on Saturday night in Phoenix, Schneider told reporters that he talked to Lauer about the comments and that the 30-year-old southpaw has bought into the team's plan going forward.
"I respect everyone's opinion," said Schneider. "I know the end of his quote was, 'It's above my pay grade,' and it definitely is above his pay grade as to how we use him. We're trying to win, you know what I mean? 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. Anyone who's been bounced around a little bit, he wants to start, I get it. But he's on board with us just trying to win and, go out and execute until we take the ball from you, big fella, and do it again the next time.
"... It's just reminding guys like, 'Hey, if you don't like your role, like, come talk to me, come talk to Pete.' That goes for everybody. You don't like when I take you out as a starter, all right, come talk to me, don't tell you guys, come tell me. That was it, basically. It was quick. The message was again like, 'Hey, you pitch, I decide.'"
On the season, Lauer now has a 7.13 ERA and a 1-3 record over four appearances. He began the year with a bang, striking out nine against the Athletics, but has struggled since, surrendering 12 runs over his last 12.1 innings.
If the Blue Jays stay on turn for their next trip through the rotation, Lauer's next start (or bulk outing) will come on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels.
