PITTSBURGH — Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. exited Monday night’s 5-2 defeat against Pittsburgh in the fifth inning due to hamstring tightness after executing a couple of impressive defensive maneuvers.
Guerrero performed the splits twice at first base to grab throws from his teammates, with the latter being an excellent scoop of a lengthy throw from shortstop Bo Bichette to get Jared Triolo out to conclude the third. Guerrero returned to the field in the fourth but was substituted by Ty France when it was his turn to bat in the top of the fifth.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider reported that Guerrero was doing «all right,» but an MRI was planned to gain a better understanding of the situation.
«It was after that stretch, obviously,» Schneider mentioned. «At this point in the season, everyone is pushing through a bit, and that just aggravated his hamstring. It’s merely tightness.»
Schneider noted that Guerrero wanted to participate in the fourth inning to assess the extent of his injury. Rather than risk further aggravation, he was taken out in the fifth.
«I trust him, and he understands his body very well,» Schneider stated. «We cannot lose him for a long time, so this was partly a precautionary measure. Hopefully, he’ll be fine in a day or two. He’s crucial to our batting lineup.»
Guerrero is hitting .298 with 21 home runs and 69 RBIs this season for the AL East-leading Toronto.
