The Toronto Blue Jays secured a 5-4 victory in their series opener Friday night against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Toronto has had to navigate the last three games without superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has been out of the lineup with right hamstring tightness.
However, ahead of Game 2 of the series Saturday night, Blue Jays manager John Schneider officially updated the lineup.
Blue Jays Announce Guerrero Jr. Change
In positive news, Guerrero Jr. will return to the lineup for Saturday’s game and start at first base while batting third behind Nathan Lukes and Brett Bateman.
Here’s the full Blue Jays lineup:
Blue Jays 8/8
N. Lukes RF
B. Bateman CF
V. Guerrero Jr. 1B
G. Springer DH
J. Sánchez LF
E. Clement 2B
A. Giménez SS
B. Valenzuela C
J. Smith 3BM. Scherzer SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 8, 2026
Guerrero Jr.’s 2026 Season
While his power has taken a bit of a step back this season, Guerrero Jr. was still named an All-Star for the sixth consecutive season.
He enters Saturday’s game batting .259 with 56 runs, 104 hits, six home runs and 44 RBIs. He’s slugging .349 and has a .687 OPS.
Blue Jays Right Now
After reaching the World Series last year, the Blue Jays have had a very underwhelming 2026 campaign. They’re 55-62 overall with 45 regular-season games remaining.
They’re in dead last in the AL East, 15.0 games back of the division lead. However, with how wide open the American League is this season, they’re still very much in the thick of the Wild Card race if they can string together some wins down the stretch.
Toronto is 3.5 games back of a postseason spot. After two more games against the Phillies this weekend, their upcoming schedule features four consecutive series against the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and then the Yankees again.
Toronto Blue Jays Announce Vladimir Guerrero Jr. News During Phillies Series