The Toronto Blue Jays continue their three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m. EDT.
Before the second game of the set, manager John Schneider provided an encouraging update on first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Guerrero was placed on the seven-day concussion list on Saturday after exiting Friday’s victory over the New York Yankees. He left that game following a collision near third base in which he was kneed in the head by Yankees shortstop George Lombard Jr.
Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi reported the latest details from Schneider.
“Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is doing a full workout today and will be reassessed later, said John Schneider. If all goes to plan, he could play in a rehab game with Dunedin tomorrow. The Blue Jays are ‘looking at Saturday as the target date for earliest activation’ if progress continues.”
The full workout represents a positive step for Guerrero as the club monitors his recovery carefully.If everything proceeds smoothly, a brief rehab assignment with the club’s Florida Complex League affiliate in Dunedin could follow as soon as Thursday.
Team officials remain optimistic that Saturday could mark the earliest possible return to the active roster, provided Guerrero continues to show improvement.
This season has not unfolded as expected for the star first baseman by his usual high standards. Through 115 games, Guerrero is batting .263 with a .337 on-base percentage and .356 slugging percentage, along with seven home runs and 46 runs batted in.
He has managed to stay mostly available despite dealing with various ailments earlier in the year, avoiding the injured list until the concussion. A hamstring problem forced him to miss some recent action, and a back issue led him to withdraw from the All-Star Game even after fans selected him as the American League’s starting first baseman.
In spring training of 2025, the Blue Jays locked Guerrero into a massive 14-year contract extension worth $500 million, underscoring their long-term commitment to the power-hitting cornerstone of the franchise.
Across his eight major league seasons, Guerrero owns a career line of .286/.363/.481, with 190 home runs and 637 RBI.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays took the series opener Tuesday with a 10-5 win over the Rays at Tropicana Field.
That victory followed a successful home stand in which Toronto claimed two of three games against the Yankees at Rogers Centre.
Overall, the club has captured seven of its past 10 contests, showing some late-season momentum. Still, the Blue Jays sit in fourth place in the American League East with a 62-65 record.
They trail the division-leading Rays by 14 games and find themselves just half a game behind the Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins in the race for the final American League wild-card berth.
Schneider and the coaching staff will continue evaluating Guerrero’s progress closely in the coming days as the series with Tampa Bay unfolds and the playoff push intensifies.
