The Toronto Blue Jays have been dealt injury blow after injury blow in 2026, and just when it appeared as though the team were getting healthy and building some momentum, their biggest star went down.
While Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been less than stellar in 2026, with his struggles becoming the biggest talking point in Toronto this season, he’s the difference between this team being a potential post-season squad and a genuine World Series contender. However, he recently went down with a concussion, and now, the Blue Jays have revealed the next step in his potential return to the big leagues.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. set for Rehab Appearance
GettyVladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays.
During a matchup with the New York Yankees back on August 14th, Guerrero Jr. had an unfortunate collision with shortstop George Lombard Jr., and as a result, he was placed on the seven-day concussion Injured List.
Now, the timeline for return is nearing, and after some positive updates in recent days, the Blue Jays have officially revealed the next step in the return of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who could return and give this suddenly red-hot lineup a major boost. According to Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling, Vlad will serve as the DH with the Dunedin Blue Jays on Thursday, and if all goes to plan in that outing, he’s set to return for a critical series against the Yankees on Saturday.
He’s on track to clear concussion protocol and return to Blue Jays lineup on Saturday
While Guerrero is in the midst of one of the worst seasons of his career amid a major power outage, he’s still critical to the success of this team, and if he can get back to 100% over the coming days, he’ll be a huge boost to a lineup that is one of the most potent in baseball when they’re at their best.
Can the Blue Jays Return to the Post-Season in 2026?
Just over a month ago, the Blue Jays 2026 season looked dead and buried, but now, on the back of six straight series victories, they’re just 1.0 game back of the final Wild Card spot in the American League despite their record of 62-66 having them four games under .500 on the year.
This all comes despite Guerrero hitting just seven home runs and driving in 46 runs on the season, and while he’s still hitting a solid .263, the team need his power in the middle of the lineup, and if this time away from the game allows him to bring back that power, hopes will be high moving forward in 2026.
Ultimately, this is a player that can lead the Blue Jays all the way to the World Series as we saw back in 2025, and with a lineup that’s tallied 16 runs in their last two games, if Guerrero can return at 100% and add his power bat to the red-hot lineup, this is a team to keep a very close eye on over the next six weeks.
Blue Jays Reveal the Next Step in Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s Return