Toronto Blue Jaysfirst basemanVladimir Guerrero Jr. made his return to the starting nine for Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies and responded in emphatic fashion with one of his best performances of the year.
The 27-year-old collected two hits in his first two plate appearances, setting the tone for Toronto's offense with a solo home run and an RBI single. He also drew a walk, reaching base three times in total. Guerrero showed no signs of the discomfort he had been experiencing in his right hamstring.
However, the issue is far from behind him despite his return to game action. Guerrero spoke with reporters after Saturday's win and revealed he had actually gone for an MRI earlier this week after experiencing significant pain in his right hamstring.
The MRI revealed inflammation, but Guerrero said after some treatment he feels he can play through it. "I can use all my strength, my power," he said, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.
Guerrero is clearly committed to turning his season around individually. He has posted a .262 batting average, .341 on-base percentage, .699 OPS, seven home runs and 46 RBIs across 109 games, well below what Blue Jays fans are accustomed to seeing from him.
He also wants to carry Toronto back to the postseason the same way he carried them to the World Series just months ago in 2025.
However, it is concerning that he is playing through yet another injury. The last issue that bothered him this year was lower back tightness, which he also attempted to play through. That approach did not work out, as he kept missing games anyway.
Guerrero's passion for Toronto is undeniable, but there is a real question about whether he is giving himself enough time to properly recover rather than risking making things worse.
