Toronto Blue Jays Announce Vladimir Guerrero Jr. News During Yankees Series

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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 05: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays runs to first base after being walked during the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 05, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images)

The Toronto Blue Jays secured a 3-1 victory over the New York Yankees in their series opener Friday night.

However, concern arose for Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. when he left the game in the sixth inning after colliding with Yankees shortstop George Lombard Jr.

Guerrero was evaluated for a concussion after the game, and the Blue Jays made a notable lineup decision ahead of Saturday’s contest.

Blue Jays Announce Guerrero Jr. News

Blue Jays manager John Schneider left the slugger out of the lineup for Game 2 of the series.

Charles McAdoo will start at first base in Guerrero’s place Saturday. It’s still unclear whether Guerrero will miss multiple games or could return to the lineup as early as Sunday’s series finale.

Shortly after announcing the lineup, Toronto officially placed Guerrero Jr. on the seven-day concussion IL. He’ll miss at least a handful of games but could potentially return by the end of next week.

Here’s the full Blue Jays lineup:

Blue Jays 8/15

B. Bateman CF
N. Lukes RF
A. Kirk DH
J. Sánchez LF
K. Okamoto 3B
A. Giménez SS
B. Valenzuela C
J. Smith 2B
C. McAdoo 1B

B. Fisher SP

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 15, 2026

Guerrero Jr.’s 2026 Season

This season, Guerrero Jr. earned his sixth consecutive All-Star selection. While he hasn’t matched his previous power numbers, he continues to produce at a solid level.

Across 115 games and 430 at-bats, he’s batting .263 with 61 runs, 113 hits, seven home runs and 46 RBIs. He’s also slugging .356 with a .693 OPS.

Looking at the Blue Jays

Last week, it seemed like the Blue Jays were falling right out of the playoff mix. Now, they enter Saturday with a 60-64 record and wins in four of their last five games.

Toronto has all but fallen out of the AL East race, but the Blue Jays now sit just one game behind the final American League Wild Card spot with 38 games remaining. Their next two series will come against the Tampa Bay Rays and Yankees, giving Toronto a chance to make up even more ground in the Wild Card race.