Vladimir Guerrero’s return to action could hardly have come in a more dramatic moment.
Guerrero, the five-time All-Star, hadn’t played since last Monday after straining his hamstring stretching for a throw in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. But on Sunday, there he was, pinch-hitting in the top of the eighth inning with two runners on base and the Toronto Blue Jays trailing 5-3.
After working back from an 0-2 count, Guerrero popped up the seventh pitch of the at-bat to first base, ending Toronto’s threat. The Blue Jays went on to lose, still leaving Florida with a series win over the Miami Marlins.
If the loss on the scoreboard comes with the addition of Guerrero back into the everyday lineup, however, the Blue Jays have to feel like they’re coming out on top.
According to manager John Schneider, Guerrero should be restored to the Toronto lineup moving forward.
“You get one of your best hitters against one of their best relievers, it’s what you want,” Schneider said after the game, per Steve Gorten of MLB.com. “I thought Vlad had a really good at-bat. He just missed one, a slider he fouled back, before he popped up. Going forward, expect him to be back in (the lineup).”
Toronto kept its five-game lead in the American League East on Sunday, following the Boston Red Sox’s loss to the New York Yankees. The Yankees trail by 5 1/2 games.
Guerrero, who is batting .298 with an .892 OPS, has already tied the mark for the most games he’s ever sat out in a season since his initial call-up. From 2021 to 2024, he appeared in at least 156 games every year, and he’s already missed six this year.
As the Blue Jays prepare to open a series at home against the Minnesota Twins on Monday, it should be reassuring for them to see Guerrero’s name back on the lineup card.
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