Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s ascent toward the Majors will take another significant step when he returns from a left knee injury, as the Minor League superstar will be promoted to Triple-A Buffalo upon return, according to the Toronto Sun.
Guerrero, the No. 1 prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, has been sidelined since June 6 with a strained patella tendon and has been rehabbing in Florida of late. At the time of his injury, Guerrero was hitting .407/.457/.667 with 11 homers and 55 RBIs over 204 at-bats with Double-A New Hampshire.
Yet despite being in only his third season as a pro -- and just 19 years old -- many scouts have touted the slugger as the most Major League-ready hitter in the Minors, particularly after his stellar Spring Training as a non-roster invitee in big league camp. And even before Josh Donaldson's lingering calf injury (on the DL since May 29), some had called for the club to bring Guerrero up before he hurt his knee.
The Blue Jays, however, have expressed that they'd like to see defensive improvement from Guerrero at third base. With the club sitting in fourth place at 41-48 in a loaded American League East, there hasn't necessarily been a sense of urgency to get Guerrero Major League at-bats.