Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is out again, and John Schneider's Blue Jays suddenly have a bigger lineup concern than a routine day off.
Guerrero missed his second straight game Saturday with lower back tightness, after the club already sat him Friday against the Yankees.
That changes the feel of this injury right away. One missed game can look like caution. Two in a row, especially for a player Toronto almost never wants out of the lineup, starts to feel like something the club is taking more seriously.
MLB's Blue Jays injury tracker says Guerrero's back tightened up on June 12 against New York. The club then chose to give him an off-day on June 13, with an expected return of June 14.
That expected return matters because it tells you Toronto is still hoping this stays short. But it also means the Blue Jays are not treating the discomfort like nothing, especially with a player who sits at the center of the lineup and the spotlight.
Guerrero's season line explains why the absence lands hard. He is batting .280 with 3 home runs and 27 RBIs in 68 games, numbers that still carry weight even with the power not yet looking like his usual standard.
And this is not some depth bat the Blue Jays can cover for with one easy swap. Guerrero is the face of the roster, the hitter Schneider keeps building around, and the player Toronto backed with its long-term future. That makes any back issue worth watching closely, even if the first read is mild.
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Toronto is trying to keep this from becoming more
The good news for the Blue Jays is that the club's official tracker still points to a quick return. The bad news is simple: backs can be unpredictable, especially for a hitter expected to drive the baseball and take a heavy load at first base.
Saturday's lineup already showed the adjustment. With Guerrero out, Charles McAdoo started at first base, and Toronto had to build the order without its most important bat.
That puts more pressure on the rest of the card, especially in a series against the Yankees. A club sitting under .500 does not have much room to casually absorb missed games from its best hitter. This last sentence is an inference based on Toronto's record context and Guerrero's role.
For now, the Blue Jays are still calling this a short-term issue. But Vladimir Guerrero Jr. missing a second straight game is enough to turn a quiet rest day into a real Toronto injury story.
Should the Blue Jays sit Vladimir Guerrero Jr. until his back feels fully settled?
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