TORONTO – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. intends to play third base in winter ball for Escogido in his native Dominican Republic, according to industry sources.
The Toronto Blue Jays slugger was moved off the hot corner after reporting to summer camp overweight, but played in all 60 games of the pandemic-shortened season, covering 299 innings at first base over 34 contests. The 21-year-old slugger steadily played himself into better shape during the campaign and has charted his continued off-season progress on Instagram.
In an interview last month with Yancen Pujols of El Caribe, Guerrero made clear his intentions for 2021, saying “next year third base is mine.” Pujols was first to report that Guerrero will play for Escogido.
Sources confirm @ElCaribeRD Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was granted permission to play with Escogido. His debut is expected soon. Next week is a strong possibility.
— Yancen Pujols (@YancenPujols) November 30, 2020
The Blue Jays are encouraged by Guerrero’s off-season work and supportive of his decision to play. At the same time, it’s likely they’d want to track his usage and recovery to be sure the additional games don’t put undue stress on his body. There’s also some risk to playing amid the pandemic as opposed to working out around fewer people.
Guerrero last suited up for Escogido during 2017-18, appearing in 26 games as an 18-year-old after he split the season between low-A Lansing and high-A Dunedin.
During the first spring training in 2020, Guerrero played nine games and 40 innings at third base before the shutdown.
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