Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is back in John Schneider's lineup, and the Blue Jays finally look close to whole again in Baltimore.
That is the biggest development on Toronto's card tonight. Guerrero had missed 2 straight games after suffering a right elbow contusion on Sunday, so his return changes the feel of the lineup right away.
George Springer stays at designated hitter, Nathan Lukes hits second in left field, and Guerrero slides right back into the three-hole at first base. That gives Toronto a top of the order that finally looks familiar again.
Daulton Varsho follows in center field, Kazuma Okamoto bats fifth at third base, and Jesús Sánchez stays in right field. That is a stronger middle than the Blue Jays were able to run out for most of the past few days.
Ernie Clement holds second base, Andrés Giménez stays at shortstop, and Brandon Valenzuela catches out of the nine spot. The bottom of the order still has a younger look, but the rest of the card feels much steadier.
It is not fully perfect yet. Alejandro Kirk remains on the 60-day injured list with a left thumb fracture, so Toronto is still missing its regular catcher even as the rest of the lineup starts to look healthier.
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Why this lineup feels different for Toronto
This matters because the Blue Jays have spent weeks reacting to injuries instead of writing out a normal lineup card. Nathan Lukes only came off the injured list on May 25, and Guerrero's elbow scare had just put another regular on the edge of missing more time.
Guerrero's return resets the order. Springer does not have to carry as much at the top, Lukes can focus on getting on base, and Varsho gets another dangerous bat hitting in front of him again.
It also gives Schneider a cleaner mix of handedness. Toronto can run Lukes, Varsho, Sánchez, Giménez, and switch-hitter Valenzuela around its right-handed core, which makes the lineup a little harder to map late in the game.
There is also some simple relief in this. A lineup absence on this club has usually meant pain, testing, or another trip to the injured list. This time, the Blue Jays get to talk about a return instead.
Toronto brings a 27-29 record into the series opener, while Baltimore sits at 26-30. That makes tonight feel bigger than a routine Thursday card, because the Blue Jays are walking into a division series looking more like themselves again.
Patrick Corbin also gets the ball for Toronto, so this is not only about getting Guerrero back. It is about handing the lineup and the mound a more stable look on the same night.
The Blue Jays are not all the way healthy yet, not with Kirk still out. But with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. back in the middle, Toronto finally has a lineup card that looks a lot closer to the one John Schneider has been trying to get back.
Do the Blue Jays finally look close enough to full strength to make a real push?
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