Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Not in Blue Jays Lineup Friday As Injury Concerns Mount
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The Toronto Blue Jays got a major scare when the face of their franchise -- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. -- went down with a hamstring injury on Monday.
Described as just being "tightness," the slugger sat out both Tuesday and Wednesday as a precaution, with the hope being three days off with the off day on Thursday would be enough for his hamstring to get healthy enough for his return without risking further injury.
Fans were waiting to see if the superstar was going to be in the lineup on Friday against the Miami Marlins, an already highly-anticipated game since trade deadline acquisition Shane Bieber is scheduled to make his first start with the Blue Jays.
But unfortunately, Guerrero will not be there to back up his new teammate, as he is not in the starting lineup that was released by the team ahead of Game 1 getting underway.
507 days later, Shane Bieber returns to a Major League mound...
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 22, 2025
In a Blue Jays jersey. #lightsupletsgo pic.twitter.com/k1DYRu7DtK
Toronto hasn't been giving off the illusion of concern regarding the injury of Guerrero, but him being out for the third straight game does nothing to quell the notion that his hamstring issue might be more severe than the team is letting on.
While it has to be pointed out that there is no need to rush him back into the mix if he's not 100% ready to be back, the fact he won't be in action again suggests there could be more going on than just tightness.
Now this is going to be a storyline until Guerrero does return to the lineup, with the Blue Jays previously stating he felt better on Tuesday and Wednesday compared to when he first left the game on Monday.
Should Fans Be Worried About Guerrero's Injury?
Despite him being out of the lineup again on Friday, it still feels too early for fans to panic about what is going on. With a three-game set against the Marlins on tap before they host the decimated Minnesota Twins, they can afford to be cautious at this stage of the season.
While Toronto shouldn't take anything for granted when it comes to their lead in the AL East or their standing the American League as a whole, they have built a roster that should be able to win both series against the Marlins and Twins without their superstar if he does miss more time.
But that is operating under the notion that the Blue Jays are being straightforward with Guerrero's diagnosis and there isn't more going on. Because if the tightness gets upgraded to something more severe, then that completely changes things going forward.
