Vladdy (hamstring) day to day after missing Wednesday's game

WASHINGTON -- Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was out of the lineup for Wednesday afternoon’s 5-2 win over the Nationals after exiting Tuesday night’s 8-6 loss in the fourth inning with right hamstring tightness.

“He’s feeling better,” manager John Schneider said prior to Wednesday’s game. “Just kind of taking advantage of the off-day [Thursday] and quick turnaround [today]. Just tightness. We’ll see how he is throughout the day, but he was, again, fighting to stay in the game [Tuesday]. I just wanted to take it cautious with him.”

Kazuma Okamoto entered at first base for Guerrero on Tuesday, then clubbed his 24th home run on what was intended to be an off-day.

He got the start there again Wednesday, and Schneider said Tuesday night the 30-year-old Japanese rookie is a longer-term option at the spot, if needed. Okamoto has mainly played third base and served as the DH in his first MLB season.

“I think Kaz can play over there,” Schneider said. “He works there, and I don't want to say regularly, but he gets working over there. And he's been there, so I feel comfortable playing him there.”

In his second at-bat on Tuesday night, Guerrero pulled Cade Cavalli’s first-pitch offering down the third-base line and raced to the bag to beat the errant throw of the charging Jorbit Vivas.

As Vivas’ throw bounded away from Luis García Jr., Guerrero turned and hustled toward second as the Blue Jays’ first run of the game scored, but he showed slight signs of discomfort.

Guerrero has played in 103 of Toronto’s 108 games this season, but he has lacked the power stroke fans have come to expect of the six-time All-Star.

He’s slashing .265/.345/.357 with six home runs. The slugging percentage is nearly 100 points off his previous low for a single season, and his homer total is three below the nine he hit during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.