The Toronto Blue Jays have leaned heavily on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. throughout another demanding year, even as the 27-year-old continues to endure a difficult stretch midway through the 2026 MLB season.
Entering Canada Day, Guerrero was batting .268 with four home runs, 34 RBIs and a .695 OPS through 81 games. While he has not played at his best this season, the Blue Jays continue to hold up hope that he could find his form in time for the club’s playoff push.
Guerrero did not take the field on Tuesday and the Blue Jays were forced to reshuffle their lineup before a 3-0 loss to the New York Mets.
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The five-time All-Star was originally penciled in to start at first base before being scratched before first pitch because of back tightness. It’s an issue that also sidelined him for two games against the New York Yankees in mid-June.
Ahead of Wednesday’s game, however, the Blue Jays announced that Guerrero was back in the starting lineup for the Canada Day series finale.
The move comes after manager John Schneider eased concerns about the injury following Tuesday’s matchup.
Schneider said Guerrero “was tight swinging” before Tuesday’s game, but the club chose not to push him because it believes he is “really close” offensively and “didn’t want to set him back.” He added that “all signs point to positive” after a day of treatment and rest (h/t Keegan Matheson of MLB.com).
Schneider also revealed that Guerrero wanted to play Wednesday. The decision to sit him Tuesday was described as precautionary, with the manager noting that the wear and tear of the season likely contributed to the first baseman’s back tightening up.
Toronto snapped a six-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over the Mets on Monday before being shut out Tuesday, and the club will hope having its franchise cornerstone back in the lineup helps them return to winning ways heading into the remainder of its homestand.
