Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is out of John Schneider's lineup tonight, with the Blue Jays refusing to push a sore right elbow one day after the scare.
That is the right call, even if Toronto hates losing his bat for a game it wants badly. Guerrero is still dealing with soreness after getting hit on the inside of the right elbow yesterday.
Schneider called him day-to-day, which is better than any longer-term label. But day-to-day does not mean ready, and the manager made it clear the club did not want to test that line too soon.
The bigger point is where the ball caught him. Getting drilled on the inside of the elbow is not just a pain issue. That spot can leave numbness, weakness, and a hitter who does not trust his hands the next day.
Guerrero already said after the game that his arm went numb and he lost feeling in his middle and pinky fingers. That is why this update matters more than a normal bruise story.
The Blue Jays got the best news they could from the X-rays when they came back negative. That took fracture fear off the table and gave Toronto room to treat this like soreness instead of something worse.
Still, Schneider's wording told the story. He said the club would see how Guerrero feels as the day goes on, but did not want to push it after talking with him last night.
Why the Blue Jays are being careful with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
This is not a benching. It is a pause. Toronto knows what Guerrero means to the lineup, and that is exactly why forcing him in while the elbow is still barking would be a bad gamble.
A hitter like Guerrero does not need to be at 70 percent and guessing at the plate. If the arm is still sore enough to affect extension or grip, the at-bats can get ugly fast.
There is also no reason to pretend one game is worth a bigger problem. The Blue Jays can survive a night without him far easier than they can survive turning a short-term scare into a weeklong issue.
Schneider sounded like a manager trying to get ahead of that risk. He was not selling panic, and he was not selling certainty either. He was leaving the door open while making sure Guerrero did not have to force it.
That is the smartest part of the update. Toronto is dealing with a star who avoided the worst, but not a player who is fully clear yet. Those are not the same thing.
So the Blue Jays will wait, watch the soreness, and let the elbow settle. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. may still be back soon, but John Schneider made the right move by not asking him to prove it tonight.
Did John Schneider make the right call by sitting Vladimir Guerrero Jr. tonight?
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