The Toronto Blue Jays have likely been Major League Baseball’s unluckiest team when it comes to injury in 2026, and this, along with their immense inconsistency throughout the season has led them to last place in the American League East.
With a record of 50-59, there’s still an outside chance this team can make a run at the post-season, but with the trade deadline just a matter of days away, the immediate future is looking very unclear in Toronto. Right now, the team are solely focused on what’s happening on the field, and ahead of their series opening game with the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, they’ve made an announcement on their biggest star.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to Return on Friday
GettyVladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Earlier in the week, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. left the Blue Jays contest with the Washington Nationals in the fourth inning, citing discomfort in his hamstring, with the team officially labelling him as day-to-day as a result.
Following that, the star first baseman missed the series finale against Washington, with many questioning if he would be able to return for their series opening clash with the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday. While he’s clearly not at 100%, the Blue Jays revealed that he will indeed be in the lineup for the game after testing out his hamstring on Thursday at Rogers Centre, as he knows he needs to be on the field to help this team turn things around.
As he has been for parts of the year, Vlad is back in the two-hole in the Blue Jays lineup, following Nathan Lukes as the team look to build on their 2-1 series win against the Nationals, with the team clearly not giving up on their post-season hopes in 2026 just yet.
Can Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Help Turn Things Around in Toronto?
While the Blue Jays are nine games under .500, they’re not out of things just quite yet, but with so much speculation around players like Kevin Gausman, Daulton Varsho, Shane Bieber and Jeff Hoffman, it’s safe to say that if the team are indeed sellers, the front office are ready to reload and focus on the 2027 campaign.
For the team on the field however, the focus is on the next game ahead of them, and while they’ve struggled this year, it’s on the back of a horrendous campaign from Guerrero, and if he can find his groove and his power stroke in the final two months of the year, there can still be optimism in Toronto.
That all starts on Friday against the Cardinals, and with the Blue Jays biggest star back in the lineup alongside Jesus Sanchez’ return from the Injured List, if the team can find their consistency, the next few months are going to be very interesting in Toronto, but right now, that’s simply way too many ‘buts’ for a team that was in the World Series less than 12 months ago.
Blue Jays Announce Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Change Ahead of Cardinals Game