PITTSBURGH – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was forced from the Toronto Blue Jays starting lineup for the first time this season Saturday after the all-star first baseman experienced discomfort in his left wrist.
The soreness first set in during Friday night’s 4-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, when Guerrero went one-for-four with a first-inning RBI single that opened the scoring.
Initially, he was in Saturday’s lineup but when the soreness persisted as he tested out the wrist in the batting cage, he and the Blue Jays erred on the side of caution, with Brandon Belt moving from first base to DH and Cavan Biggio taking over at first.
The lineup change happened as the Blue Jays were midway through their on-field batting practice ahead of Saturday night’s 8-2 win over the Pirates.
"Just some soreness there," manager John Schneider said after the game, reacting coolly to the idea of also resting Guerrero in the series finale that combined with Monday’s off-day would create an extended break. "If it's that bad, yeah, if it's not, then probably not. We trust him, see how he feels (Sunday) and go from there."
Guerrero has experienced soreness in his left wrist in the past, turning down an invitation to participate in last year’s Home Run Derby to avoid risking a flare-up of the soreness he felt when sitting out a May 29 contest at the Los Angeles Angels.
The 24-year-old is off to a monster start this season, batting .318/.389/.530 with seven homers and 21 RBIs in 33 games.
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