The Toronto Blue Jays have been rolling as of late, and while they came up short in game one of a critical series with the New York Yankees, the team have built up some impressive momentum as of late.
While game one saw Cam Schlittler take the mound for New York, game two will see Dylan Cease take the ball for Toronto, and given the animosity that’s been built up by these teams in recent years, it’s bound to be another fantastic contest. In a major boost for the Blue Jays, they announced the return of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and ahead of a critical game, they’ve released their lineup, revealing what his role will be.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to hit Second for the Blue Jays
GettyVladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays.
In the Yankees last series this past week, the team saw star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. depart due to a concussion in a collision with George Lombard Jr., and after a rehab outing on Thursday, he has officially been reinstated.
Ahead of the critical second game with the Yankees, Vlad’s role has been revealed, as he will once again be at first base while hitting second, returning after a successful rehab outing as he looks to find his form for the first time in 2026.
Unsurprisingly, as we’ve seen as of late, there’s plenty of chopping and changing around Guerrero in the lineup, but with his bat back in the lineup, this is a team that has the opportunity to continue their momentum that they’ve built over the past month.
Before the injury, Guerrero had started to find his groove with nine hits over his past seven games, and while the power is clearly still down, if he can be a contributor at the top of this lineup and bring back some of that power, this is a team that represents a major threat in the American League.
Can Toronto be a World Series Threat in 2026?
While the Blue Jays started 2026 slow, as of late the pitching staff has been among the best in all of baseball, and with the lineup once again being able to find their best, even with their biggest star out of the lineup, they have now won seven straight series and find themselves right in the midst of the American League Wild Card race.
Obviously, there’s still plenty of work to do, and given all the recent changes to the Blue Jays lineup, they will need to find some consistency before the post-season arrives, but with all things pointing in the right direction, if Vladdy can get back to what he did in the 2025 playoffs, this is a team that nobody wants to see down the stretch.
Blue Jays Announce Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Role for Yankees Series