The Blue Jays could start leaning on Sean Keys or Jesus Sanchez at first base more often.

The idea would give Vladimir Guerrero Jr. regular days at designated hitter without fully losing a bat at first base.

Keys has appeared in 13 games this season, hitting .162 with one home run and five RBIs across 37 at-bats.

Sanchez has been the more established option, appearing in 95 games with eight home runs, 34 RBIs, and a .269 average across 260 at-bats.

Neither profile screams everyday first baseman on its own, but that's not really the point of this experiment.

Using either as a periodic fill-in gives Toronto a look at whether they can handle the position without disrupting the larger lineup plan.

Guerrero has played almost exclusively at first base throughout his career, making any shift toward DH a real change to his day-to-day routine.

Why this small experiment could shape a bigger decision

Moving a franchise cornerstone to DH permanently is not a decision made lightly, and testing it in small doses first makes sense before committing to anything larger.

Guerrero is just 27, an age where defensive value still matters, but managing his workload could also extend his effectiveness at the plate over a long-term contract.

He's signed for 14 years and $500 million, a deal that will span the majority of his prime and into his decline phase eventually.

Finding the right moment to transition him to DH, whether that's now or years down the road, is exactly the kind of long-term roster planning a front office has to consider early.

Sanchez and Keys getting occasional starts at first gives Toronto real data on internal options before any permanent decision gets made.

None of this suggests an imminent full-time move. It's a testing ground more than a verdict.

Whether this occasional first base rotation becomes a regular pattern, or stays a rare occurrence, depends on how comfortable Toronto's coaching staff gets with the fill-in options at that position.