Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is day-to-day after tweaking his right knee running the bases in Friday's spring training game, the team announced Saturday. Tests revealed minor inflammation and no structural damage. "At this stage in camp, we're being ultra cautious," manager John Schneider told Sportsnet on Saturday.
The injury does, however, mean Guerrero will miss the World Baseball Classic. He was scheduled to leave the Blue Jays and join the Dominican Republic team in Miami on Sunday. San Diego Padres slugger Nelson Cruz is serving as GM of the Dominican Republic team, and he confirmed Guerrero will miss the WBC on Saturday. The Blue Jays have also confirmed the news. Here's the injury:
Vlad Jr. was the only natural first baseman on the Dominican Republic's stacked WBC roster. Robinson Canó has played some first base in recent years and could fill in for Guerrero at first. Carlos Santana of the Pittsburgh Pirates and unsigned free agent Miguel Sanó are first basemen and could be added to the roster, though that is just my speculation.
Guerrero, 24 later this month, is 3-for-10 with two home runs in the early going this spring. He slashed .274/.339/.480 with 32 home runs in 2022, which is both very good and a step down from his MVP runner-up performance in 2021. With Opening Day less than four weeks away, the Blue Jays are smart to be cautious with their franchise player.
The Blue Jays went 92-70 last season but were swept in the Wild Card Series by the Seattle Mariners. Toronto imported Chris Bassitt, Brandon Belt, Kevin Kiermaier, Daulton Varsho, and others this offseason in an effort to win the AL East for the first time since 2015.
Even without Guerrero, the Dominican Republic can still build a powerhouse lineup around Rafael Devers, Manny Machado, Julio Rodríguez, Juan Soto, and other MLB All-Stars.
