Vladimir Guerrero Jr. returned to the Toronto Blue Jays’ starting lineup on Wednesday after sitting out Tuesday’s 3-0 loss to the New York Mets. The five-time All-Star helped the club secure the series with a 9-3 Canada Day victory and improve to 41-46 on the season.
Guerrero went 1-for-4 with a walk and scored in the seventh inning after Daulton Varsho’s RBI single, as Toronto enters the final stretch of what has been a difficult home stand on a positive note.
His return came after another injury scare. The Blue Jays’ first baseman has now missed five games this season, including three in June because of back tightness.
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Guerrero was first sidelined during Toronto’s series against the New York Yankees with the issue, and then missed Tuesday’s game against the Mets, raising concerns that the injury could become a lingering problem during the second half of the season.
After Wednesday’s win, Guerrero provided an encouraging update:
“More toward the obliques right now,” the Blue Jays first baseman said of his back injury. “But I feel way better than yesterday.”
Guerrero also revealed that the discomfort was likely caused by the extra work he has been putting in to rediscover his swing, saying he has been taking “like 300 swings a day before games, after games, probably like 100,” in an effort to break out of his offensive slump (h/t Shi Davidi of Sportsnet).
The Blue Jays will hope the injury does not become a long-term issue. Although Guerrero has not played to the level expected, he remains the centerpiece of Toronto’s lineup and was one of the biggest reasons the club entered the season viewed as a legitimate contender. His health will be critical if the Blue Jays hope to climb back into the American League wild card race.
Toronto returns to the field on Friday to open a challenging weekend series against the Seattle Mariners, the first of their nine-game road trip. With Guerrero trending in the right direction physically, the Blue Jays will be counting on their star first baseman to return to his best during the second half of the MLB season.
