Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is hitting second Sunday, and John Schneider just gave the Blue Jays' lineup a very different look in Detroit.
Toronto's official lineup for Sunday has Yohendrick Piñango leading off in left field, with Guerrero moved into the 2-hole as the designated hitter. Daulton Varsho hits third in center, and Jesús Sánchez bats cleanup in right.
That is the first big takeaway from this card. Schneider is sliding Guerrero up a spot and putting him closer to the top of the offense instead of leaving him in the usual middle-of-the-order lane.
It also comes with another noticeable change. George Springer is not in the lineup after leading off as the DH on Saturday, and Kazuma Okamoto is out as well after batting cleanup at third base in that game.
Lenyn Sosa starts at first base and bats fifth, while Ernie Clement plays third and hits sixth. Andrés Giménez is at shortstop in the 7 spot, Brandon Valenzuela catches eighth, and Davis Schneider starts at second base ninth.
So this is not just a small batting-order tweak. It is a lineup card with a new top shape and 2 notable regulars missing from the day before.
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Schneider is clearly trying to spark the offense
The Blue Jays enter the afternoon at 20-25, while the Tigers are 20-26, so this is a real chance for Toronto to grab the series instead of drifting into another flat road finish. Sunday's matchup starts at 1:40 p.m. Eastern at Comerica Park.
Kevin Gausman gets the ball for Toronto, carrying a 2-3 record, a 3.86 ERA, and 48 strikeouts into the start. Detroit counters with Jack Flaherty, who is 0-4 with a 5.73 ERA and 44 strikeouts.
That pitching matchup gives the Blue Jays a real opening, which makes the lineup shuffle more interesting. Schneider is not waiting around for a spark. He is moving Guerrero up and asking him to impact the game earlier.
Piñango staying at the top matters too. The rookie keeps getting premium at-bats, and Sunday's card says Schneider still trusts the left-handed bat to set the table.
Varsho hitting third gives Toronto another left-handed presence right behind Guerrero, while Sánchez batting fourth gives the middle of the order a different look than the Springer-Guerrero-Okamoto setup from Saturday.
The missing names are what make this lineup stand out most. No Springer. No Okamoto. And with that, Guerrero is no longer just one of the middle bats. He is now parked near the very top of everything Toronto wants to do offensively.
Sunday's card feels like a manager looking for energy, traffic, and quicker pressure. John Schneider moved Vladimir Guerrero Jr. up to second, and that alone makes this one of the Blue Jays' more telling lineup decisions of the week.
Do you like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. moving up to second in the Blue Jays lineup?
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