Blue Jays manager John Schneider rips Mariners fans who booed George Springer after injury

George Springer is no stranger to jeers from the crowd — but the raucous ovation he received Friday night may have crossed a line. 

Blue Jays manager John Schneider scolded Mariners fans for booing Springer after being injured when a pitch hit his knee in the club’s 6-2 loss in Game 5 of the ALCS at T-Mobile Park.

“I know this is an awesome atmosphere to play in, and it’s really, really cool to play here, and I think the fans that were booing him should take a look in the mirror and understand what kind of player he is,” Schneider said after his team fell in a 3-2 series hole.

“And — I’ll stop there, because when a guy gets hit in the knee and is in obvious pain and have you 40,000 people cheering, not the right thing to do.”

The Blue Jays’ star designated hitter collapsed in pain after getting struck in the knee with a 95.6-mph sinker from Seattle right-hander Bryan Woo in the top of the seventh inning with Toronto ahead, 2-1. 

Springer, who has been heckled by Mariners fans throughout the ALCS, was showered with boos from the sellout crowd as he labored up to his feet and hobbled to first base — ultimately being replaced by pinch runner Joey Loperfido.

The Toronto skipper confirmed that Springer endured a right knee contusion, while X-rays for further damage came back negative.

He fully expects the 36-year-old slugger to be ready for Game 6 on Sunday in Toronto. 

“George is about as tough as they come,” said Schneider. “I think he’ll have to really, really be hurting to not be in the lineup on Sunday.”

Springer hasn’t been able to shake the notoriety he accrued as a leader — and World Series MVP — of the scandal-ridden 2017 Houston Astros. 

Adding fuel to the fire, he’s one of the most dominant postseason performers in the game’s history — and has followed up a resurgent 2025 campaign with another brilliant October effort.

Springer boasts a .933 OPS with three home runs this postseason, moving him into a tie with Bernie Williams for the fourth most homers in postseason history (22). 

Earlier in Friday night’s contest, he mashed a game-tying RBI double off the left field wall — his sixth consecutive game with an extra-base hit in the playoffs. 

Toronto briefly seized the lead before Seattle evened the score and broke the game open on a Eugenio Suarez grand slam in the eighth inning. 

The Blue Jays now have to win the next two games at home, after previously losing Games 1 and 2 in Toronto, to advance to the World Series to meet the Dodgers.