BALTIMORE -- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is making a late, surprising return to the Blue Jays’ lineup to open Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Orioles.
Just over 30 minutes prior to first pitch at Camden Yards, the Blue Jays announced that Guerrero would be sliding back in, batting second and playing first base. One Blue Jays loss or a win from the White Sox will officially eliminate them from playoff contention, but for now, Guerrero seems intent on playing it out.
Guerrero was removed from Sunday’s finale against the Rangers with left lower back tightness, something that flared up when he stretched to make a play at first base a couple of days prior. He’d been out of the lineup since, and as of Wednesday morning, the Blue Jays were hoping that Guerrero might be able to play in Game 2 of the doubleheader before something changed.
“It’s more when he’s landing and rotating,” manager John Schneider said. “You could see it in some of his swings yesterday. We knew going in that he was a little tight, but he was not really getting his normal swing off.”
This season has been a disappointment in every way for Guerrero, who entered play with just nine home runs and a .695 OPS. He’s dealt with some of these small, nagging injuries throughout the season, but never enough to hit the 10-day IL.
After this series, the Blue Jays return home to face the Reds beginning Friday for their final regular-season series.