1/6 | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays. (27) hits a single against the Boston Red Sox in the sixth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, in Toronto.
2/6 | Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reacts after hitting Boston Red Sox’s Justin Turner during the eighth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Toronto. 3/6 | Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stands before a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox in Toronto on Saturday, September. 16, 2023. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Read more 4/6 | Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. pinches his left ear while standing in the dugout. during the eighth inning of the team’s baseball game against the Boston Red Sox on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Toronto.
5/6 | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays hits a three-run home run against the Boston Red Sox in the third inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Toronto. 6/6| Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates his three-run home run against the Boston Red Sox during the third inning of a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Toronto. NEW YORK Vladimir Guerrero Jr was out of the Toronto Blue Jays lineup against the New York Yankees on Wednesday night because of right knee discomfort.
Guerrero underwent an MRI during the game and the team expects to have more information Thursday. “He didn’t feel quite right, his hitting routine before the game,” manager John Schneider said after Toronto’s 6-1 win. “I just obviously want to be careful with him. So I didn’t want to push it today.”
The slugger was slated to bat third as the designated hitter for the Blue Jays, who are in a tight playoff race. Toronto was one game ahead of Texas and Seattle for the second of the three wild card spots in the American League. About two hours before Wednesday night’s game, Schneider said Guerrero’s sore right knee had been “barking” for a few days and he was “grinding” off it, but there was nothing structurally wrong.
However, about 40 minutes before the scheduled first pitch, the Blue Jays announced that Guerrero had been removed from the starting lineup.
Toronto rookie Spencer Horwitz was moved from first base to DH. Cavan Biggio moved from second base to first and advanced to third in the batting order. Added Whit Merrifield at second base with a hit in the sixth. Guerrero went 0-5 in Tuesday night’s 7-1 win at Yankee Stadium and was lifted with a pinch runner in the ninth inning after reaching on an error.
