Toronto Blue Jays Provide Injury Updates on Alek Manoah, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Others
In this story:
The Toronto Blue Jays, who are juggling a handful of injuries to key players with Opening Day two weeks away, provided a handful of status updates on Tuesday.
First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is temporarily out of the lineup with a left knee contusion. As manager John Schneider told Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling, however, Guerrero has not been sent for imaging and will go through a full workout and the team’s player development complex in Dunedin, Florida.
Guerrero was banged up late last week as well, suffering a jammed finger.
The MLB The Show 24 cover athlete made his third consecutive All-Star appearance last year. He finished 2023 with 26 home runs, 94 RBI, a .264 batting average, a .788 OPS, a 2.0 WAR and a Home Run Derby crown.
On the mound, a trio of Blue Jays pitchers are trying to return from injuries of their own.
Kevin Gausman, who has been dealing with shoulder fatigue, is scheduled to throw a side session Tuesday. Up next will either be live batting practice or a Grapefruit League game, depending on how his bullpen session goes.
Yariel Rodriguez, meanwhile, is set to throw a live batting practice Tuesday as he continues to work his way back from back spasms. He will throw roughly 40 pitches, and Schneider hopes the 26-year-old Cuban hurler will next take the mound for his Spring Training debut.
Schneider’s update on Alek Manoah wasn’t as concrete, as he did not provide a timetable for his return. The right-hander, who is also dealing with shoulder soreness, is still playing catch, though.
Gausman ranks third in all of baseball with 95 starts over the last three seasons, placing top-10 in Cy Young voting all three years while making two All-Star appearances. Manoah looked like he would join Gausman as a true ace following his standout rookie campaign in 2021 and All-Star appearance in 2022, but his production dropped off a cliff in 2023.
Rodriguez was one of Toronto’s top free agent additions this winter, and he has a few weeks left of Spring Training to prove he is worth a big league roster spot right off the bat.
Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media
Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by LIKING us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.
You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.
