DUNEDIN, Fla. – Quietly, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been dealing with some nagging minor injuries this week. They’ve prevented him from getting quite as many Grapefruit League at-bats as normal but certainly aren’t cause for any significant concern.
Playing against the Pirates last Tuesday, Guerrero Jr. jammed the middle finger on his left hand, leading to a relatively slow week. He returned to the lineup against the Phillies on Saturday once the soreness had subsided, only to sustain a left knee contusion on an impressive sliding catch in foul territory that same day.
Instead of pushing Guerrero Jr., the Blue Jays opted to take him out of Sunday’s lineup for an extra day of recovery. On Monday, he rested again, staying back while others made the trip south to play the Rays in Port Charlotte, Fla. and opting not to take batting practice on the field alongside a group that included Joey Votto.
“Just being totally, totally, cautious,” manager John Schneider said Sunday. “He was basically fine, but a guy like him is so important. (The knee) was a little bit sore. It’s March 10th. We can give him one extra day.”
It’s a balancing act the Blue Jays have navigated successfully in recent years as Guerrero Jr. has missed a total of nine games over the last four regular seasons combined. There are still more than two weeks off at-bats available for Guerrero Jr., who turns 25 on Saturday. For a player who’s already appeared in seven spring games, that’s plenty of time remaining.
Now for a more out-there possibility that I recently ran past Schneider. During the regular season if the Blue Jays pinch hit for a third baseman like Isiah Kiner-Falefa or Santiago Espinal late in a game with a bench bat like Daniel Vogelbach or Votto …
“I know where this is going,” a smiling Schneider interjected.
Well, how about it? Could the Blue Jays move Guerrero Jr. over to third base for a few innings with the pinch hitter covering first? Sure, Schneider replied. It’s technically possible. Guerrero Jr. took a few ground balls at third early in spring, and could be used in that capacity if a game runs deep into extra innings and the Jays’ bench options disappear, for instance.
But realistically, it doesn’t sound like anything the Blue Jays are planning to do. More likely, they’d do a two-for-one substitution with another infielder replacing whoever pinch hits and Guerrero Jr. remaining at the position where he won a Gold Glove in 2022.
BLUE JAYS NOTES
Votto took batting practice alongside Kiner-Falefa and Justin Turner on Monday morning as he continues to ramp up toward game action … Kevin Gausman’s next step may be an extended bullpen session … Alek Manoah continues playing catch off flat ground … While the Blue Jays mix up their lineup order in spring training, Schneider expects the top of the order to look more consistent once the season starts with George Springer, Bo Bichette, Guerrero Jr. and Turner likely to occupy the top four spots in that order.
from Sportsnet.ca
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