Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Exits early in 'manager's decision'
Heineman relayed after Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Twins that he was removed from the game in the sixth inning in a "manager's decision" rather than due to any sort of physical issue, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
After taking an at-bat with the bases loaded in the top half of the sixth, Heineman was lifted from the game in the bottom of the frame in a move that seemed to signal that the veteran backstop was dealing with an injury. Instead, manager John Schneider said that he opted to pull Heineman from the game due to the poor at-bat, which ended with a weak flyout after the 34-year-old swung at a first-pitch breaking ball. Heineman had already begun to lose out on playing time to Brandon Valenzuela, and his 0-for-3 showing prior to exiting Sunday's game won't help Heineman's case for regaining work.
