Blue Jays Place Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the Injured List
In this story:
The Toronto Blue Jays have picked up momentum in August. They've won every series this month against quality opponents, including the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Boston Red Sox.
Toronto (60-64) is inching closer in the American League wild-card standings. Entering Saturday, they're one game back of the Detroit Tigers, who hold the third spot.
However, the Blue Jays will be without first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to the Injured List
Per Keegan Matheson of mlb.com, Toronto is placing Guerrero Jr. on the 7-day concussion list. On Friday, as Guerrero Jr. was running to third base, his face collided with George Lombard Jr.'s knee. He was able to score on the play, but was replaced by Charles McAdoo.
"He had a headache last night. I think it's one of those where the doctors wanted to see how he woke up today," John Schneider said, per Max Ralph of mlb.com. "He's here, I think kind of feeling the same."
Outfielder Daz Cameron has been added to the big-league roster, and right-handed pitcher Lazaro Estrada has been DFA'd. In addition, the Blue Jays also recalled left-handed pitcher Ricky Tiedemann from Triple-A and optioned Chase Lee in a separate move.
Who Will Fill in For Guerrero Jr.?
For the time being, McAdoo would be the likely option to fill in at first base. Kazuma Okamoto has also played at first this season and could slide over.
It's no secret that Guerrero Jr. has struggled with slugging this season. The Blue Jays' first baseman is still searching for his first home run at the Rogers Centre in 2026. He's slashing .263/.337/.356 this season.
If that slugging percentage holds, it would be the lowest of his career by a wide margin. There is a clear disconnect at the plate, and hopefully this time away will give Guerrero Jr. the reset he needs. However, a head injury isn’t fun to deal with, and the timing isn’t great for the Blue Jays. They have critical divisional matchups coming up.
Regardless of his struggles, Toronto needs its leader for a potential playoff push. This is a rare time when he’ll be away from the team. In fact, this is the first time in his career that he’s been placed on the injured list.
He’s been consistently available throughout his career. Now, the Blue Jays will adjust to life without Guerrero Jr. for at least a week, if not longer.
Add us as a preferred source on Google-18b43fc96f33cf096c365e79101baa24.jpeg "Zion Trammel")
Zion Trammell graduated from TCU in 2023 with a degree in sports broadcasting and journalism. He currently writes for TCU Horned Frogs on SI. In addition to writing, he is the play-by-play voice for Southlake Carroll baseball and hosts a TCU show on the Bleav Network.
Follow zion_trammell