Blue Jays manager gives major update on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. after hit by pitch in back-to-back games

Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was hit by a pitch in Thursday's series finale against the Cleveland Guardians. It was the second consecutive game the All-Star infielder was struck by the Guardians.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was hit by a pitch in the third inning of the series finale and the first baseman was removed from the game in the next inning by manager John Schneider.

The scans on the star infielder came back negative and Schneider updated on his condition following the hit on his arm. Ahead of Friday's series opener against the Boston Red Sox, Schneider said on MLB Network Radio:

"His X-rays yesterday were negative. Talking to him last night on the plane, I think he'll [be in the lineup]. I think he'll be okay. That was kind of his demeanor last night. With a guy like him, you wanna be careful," he continued. "If he needs an extra day, he'll get it. But thankfully, the X-rays were negative, and he was in good spirits after the game."

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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the Blue Jays' prized asset and John Schneider wouldn't want to risk the superstar slugger ahead of the All-Star break.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads Blue Jays offense in Red Sox thrashing

Although the Blue Jays manager said Vladimir Guerrero Jr. would feature against the Red Sox on Friday, there was uncertainty over his role, with reports indicating the first baseman to be on the bench for the series opener.

However, the All-Star slugger not only started the game, but went 2-for-4 on the night, driving in three runs for the team in a blowout 9-0 win. Guerrero Jr. backed Blue Jays starter Jose Berrios, who pitched seven scoreless innings with eight strikeouts to hand the Red Sox their sixth consecutive defeat.

The win improved Toronto to 44-37 for the season, two games behind the Tampa Bay Rays and three games behind AL East leaders the New York Yankees.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash