Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. suffered some right knee soreness while running the bases during a Spring Training game on Friday, and an MRI revealed minor inflammation but no structural damage. Manager John Schneider told reporters (including MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson) that Guerrero is “just doing treatment today and staying off of his feet,” in the hopes that the short rest will help correct what appears to be a relatively minor issue for now.
Unfortunately for Guerrero and the Dominican Republic’s national team, however, the timing of the injury occurred just before Guerrero was preparing to join the D.R. club in advance of the World Baseball Classic. As a result, Guerrero has pulled out of what would have been his first WBC appearance. Naturally, Guerrero and the Jays don’t want to risk further injury under any circumstance, and especially not since the full extent of Guerrero’s knee problem isn’t yet known.
Guerrero is perhaps the cornerstone of a Blue Jays team that hopes to contend for a World Series title in 2023, and the two-time All-Star is looking to rebound in some sense from his 2022 campaign. While Guerrero hit .274/.339/.480 with 32 home runs in 708 plate appearances in 2022, this 132 wRC+ performance still represented a step down from his 166 wRC+ in 2021. Guerrero hit .311/.401/.601 with 48 homers in 698 PA that season (leading the league in OBP, slugging percentage, and home runs) and finished second in AL MVP voting behind Shohei Ohtani.
As Matheson notes, Brandon Belt and Cavan Biggio are the top choices to fill in at first base if Guerrero has to miss any significant time, though Belt hasn’t started yet started playing spring games. Coming off a pair of injury-shortened seasons, Belt was being brought along slowly, and the Blue Jays intended to use him primarily as a DH this season with Guerrero locked in at first base. Whit Merrifield also has a bit of experience at first base, albeit with only 15 big league games at the position over his seven MLB seasons.
Ruh-roh, Reorge!!!
No worries. Luke Voit is still available.
No he isn’t. See- Milwaukee Brewers
Okay Option #2: The Mariners will trade first baseman/DH Mike Ford to the Toronto Blue Jays for relief pitcher Erik Swanson
“Probably needs leg TJS” – comment section doctors
Just cut it off and install a robotic leg. It’s that simple. Not sure why guys need years to recover something that will never recover 100%.
The $6 billion man?
@ds no he needs a double leg tjs and is over due for a blood change and i should know i’m a doctor, dr. mantis toboggan
Best doctor, ever!
Dr. Nick line 1…
And that Dr. Steve Brule is no slacker.
Listen here ya dingus, the bendy part is creaky, rub some dirt on it and take a snooze or you’ll end up hobbling around like three legged donkey.
Calling doctor Howard, doctor Fine, doctor Howard…
He soitenly doesn’t kneed that…
Curly-do you watch them on ME-TV every Sat.?
@Winslow, I have every dvd this genius made. He is truly a comedic master. Many of his silly woob,woob,woob, or nyuck, nyuck nyuck sounds came from when he couldn’t remember his lines. I loved the way they always dressed him in costumes way too small. This stooge has cracked me up for 50 years. If there is a heaven, I hope to shake this mans hand-RIP
If only he hadn’t actually shot himself in the foot and eventually replaced by Shemp, there would’ve been a lot more movies with Curly in them.
Don’t forget to have his teammates spit tobacco juice on it if he really wants it to heal fast.
Curly- Cool I have the DVD’s too. The cemetery that Curly and Shemp are is about 8 miles from where I live. Thinking about going there and paying my respects.
Memo to Curly from God: There is no heaven. Live for today. Watch Stoodges & baseball as much as you can in the here & now. Enjoy Life.
Well if it isn’t my friend, Mr. McGregg
with a leg for an arm and an arm for a leg!
Nah, he’ll have to go thru a knee-ectomy. Future nickname will be hop-a-long Guerrero.
That’s not good. Hopefully it’s not serious. I’m pretty sure his dad had knee inflammation issues a couple times during his career and played through it. If I am remebering that detail correctly (I know I could google it). I loved watching him hit, at his prime it felt like someone could throw a ball 3 feet over his head and he’d still crush it.
Also that arm was a freaking cannon making him fun to watch even if his range was poor.
Didn’t he homer on a pitch that bounced too?
I remember seeing that at bat. It didn’t matter which direction it was off in either, up, down, in, out, he could still send it into space or rocket it off the wall.
vlad sr. is the best junk ball hitter i’ve ever seen and @irish yes he did crush a ball that bounced into the seats and iirc it was a playoff game too
Wrong. Manny Sanguillen. Case closed. LOL I saw Manny throw his bat at a Pitch Out and get a singe to right.
technically i’m not i said best i’ve seen, i’ve never seen manny sanguillen
Different times. So many conditioning rules these days. It almost overrides the game itself. Just let the boys play.
Just like Miguel Saño, a gifted hitter but going to eat himself out of the league. All that weight on his joints, he’s always going to be injured and will not age well. Imagine if this guy took his career seriously and worked out and stayed in shape. But he’s always gotten by on just talent and never felt the need to lose weight but that will only take you so far. He shouldn’t be having this many issues in his early 20’s already.
Many issues? Are we even talking about the same player?
He needs an intervention from Dean Wormer.
Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life son.
No, he needs to sign up for Vogelbach’s Eat Your Way To A Career As A Major League DH.
He played 161 and 160 games the last two seasons and all 60 in 2020. He never, ever misses time. What are you talking about?
He also has 29.0 ft/s sprint speed. Dude is athletic (but admittedly heavy), not some fat slob.
How does Guerrero compare to Dan Vogelbach as a fellow “big” man?
Vogelbach is a big dude, and not in way say Aaron Judge is. Pretty sure Guerrero doesn’t hold a candle to Vogelbach in the being husky department, Guerrero is definitely more athletic. The question is how does Vogelbach stack up against the likes of Dimitri Young, Prince Fielder, or peak Pablo Sandoval.
bloom – Better question is how he stacks up cheeseburgers against Rich “El Guapo” Garces.
I was thinking hitters but yeah, Rich Garces he was big.
Actually, I believe Vogelbach dropped quite a bit of weight before Spring Training, so he’s not as husky as he was.
The guy is 23, come talk to me when he is 28 and should still be in his athletic prime. Guarantee he is injured constantly by then.
So Guerrero fits the Cecil Fielder, Prince Fielder mold?
Look down there are #392. You will find Guerrero and his 26.6 ft/sec sprint speed.
baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/sprint_speed
Excellent comment. I’ve seen him make some incredible full stretch scoops at first. The man can handle the weight.
If Armchair Cracker there put an iota of the effort Guerrero puts into whatever it is he does, he may be a fraction as successful as Guerrero has been despite his…no significant injuries to date? So many issues.
I’m a partner at a large law firm, so I’d say I put in pretty decent effort so far in my career. Care to be incorrect about anything else there infractor?
Well all I would say is 2 words- Miguel Cabrera. Everybody used to say the same thing about him and he seems to have done alright. Body dimension and weight doesn’t mean as much in baseball as it does in say Football or Hockey. As far as the Gold Glove all I’ll say is Ian Happ has one now. It’s become a popularity contest rather than a skill appreciation.
Tell me you don’t follow baseball without saying you don’t follow baseball. Vlad has been in great shape the last few years, never misses time, and is now a Gold Glove winning first baseman.
I actually worked in the front office of a major league team for a few years before I went to law school so I’d say I went further in MLB than you did. What do you do c-daddy?
Saying you worked for a Major League team is a way of trying to qualify yourself without actually qualifying yourself. That being said, I doubt anybody who actually worked for a team would pigeonhole a prospect the way you just did. Might explain why you’re not there anymore and especially as a lawyer which is also an unknown here. At 28, even with a bum knee he could be a DH for another 1o years and 1B isn’t exactly a position that requires great range and foot speed so there’s that. I’ve never actually read any of your other posts so either you’re new or changed your name and if so one would have to ask Why you changed it? Best of luck either way.
Actually I haven’t changed it at all and been a member on this site for many, many years. That’s a nice skill you have that you have everyone’s username memorized and what comments they have made. It’s funny how correct you think you are on all these points. Trying to be so dismissive of my career when I have accomplished quite a bit so far, please share what you have done in this world. I never said I was GM of a team you dolt, I said I worked in the front office of a team which I did for a little less than three years in my early 20’s and then decided I wanted to go back to school. It was a lower position but I still was around many smart people and learned a lot. That doesn’t lessen anything that I said and I picked up quite a bit of knowledge in that time. Please tell me how many meetings you have had with GM’s and Directors of player development because I have had many. Again, this does not make me an expert by any stretch, but I have more experience than you do I presume and it gives me an insight to make an informed opinion. You base your mindless drivel on whatever pops into your empty head.
Haha now I know you’re a liar because you’re so obsessed with me and my success. Don’t worry little boy, you’ll find your place in this world. If it helps your ego to think everything I said is lie then please feel free. If you think I would go through that much effort to impress some inbred who I’ve never met and don’t care about them you’re dumber than I thought you were. Funny how people on here think anyone who doesn’t agree with them automatically is a liar. People like you can’t rationalize in your tiny brain that others are smarter and more successful than you will ever be. So when your empty head is trying to compute an answer, all you’re able to muster is “you’re lying!”. Haha wow it must be sad and pathetic to live in your shoes!!!
You being a lawyer or more likely pretending to be doesn’t mean you’re intelligent.
Intelligent people don’t go to comment boards to make idiotic and factually baseless comments, regardless of occupation. If your opinion can be dismantled so easily by others with cold hard facts, it’s time to reflect on your opinion, not double down with irrelevant occupation stories.
Oh yes, the old “you must be lying” response. It’s funny you can immediately pinpoint the jealousy in others when your only retort is that I must be lying. I never mentioned my profession or background in my original post. I only mentioned it subsequently because several commenters stated that I had no clue what I was talking about and achieved no success in life. Again, go back and read the threads. I honestly don’t care if you or others believe me, I know the truth and I know it pains you to think I may k ow what I’m talking about. By all means, please go back to adding your mindless drivel to these boards. The rest of us are so impressed..
Again I don’t care if you’re lying or not, it’s irrelevant. I’m judging your opinion and responses to facts, which has big one huge L for you.
You may take a sense of pride from being an attorney, but that doesn’t change the way anyone else views you. Based on your comments and how insecure your reactions are, I’m assuming that everyone just thinks you’re a huge joke.
He’s a gold glove recipient. Its not an award that get won. Its an award that gets given. He’s improved greatly and is now adequate at 1B. He is not one of the better fielding 1B. Touting his gold glove? Tell me how you know nothing about baseball, by telling me what you know about baseball.
Wow. Moonlight exposed as a low knowledge type-first commenter. Nice job for those who have facts.
Having Clepto say you don’t know anything would be like Donald Trump call you a liar. Who is it you call up and get to like every one of your posts?
Wrong clepto, I’m actually pretty knowledgeable and worked in the front office of a MLB team so I have an idea of how things work. What experience do you have?
Whenever he makes one of his idiotic posts he gets a Thumbs up almost immediately. I don’t know who he thinks he’s fooling but he obviously has 2 user accounts. Think of the the other stupid posters you know and play, Figure out who the 2nd idiot is.
@dusty the joke is in your hands when you piss. I am proud of my career, most people should take pride in what they do I would hope. I’m sorry it sounds like your job stinks, you should find another one. So my opinion that heavy 22 year olds don’t age well into their 30’s is a horrible opinion huh? I’m a joke because I repeated what many others in front offices have previously said right? People like you have no rational thinking skills. You cite 3-4 anecdotes to “back up your position” and insist what you’re saying is fact, no one else’s opinion matters. If I was was dealing with someone with half a brain, you would say “yeah you’re probably right, the way he looks now he may not have a long career unless he takes better care of himself”. But instead, your response was “you’re a liar, you don’t know what you’re talking about, your career sucks, Vlad is a HOF’er, blah, blah, blah”. It must be sad to live in your world being so shortsighted and unable to see things from others points of view.
Lol you’re a sad person man. I didn’t even bother reading after the second sentence. No successful or accomplished person talks like you.
It honestly must suck to be so pathetic and insecure. Not even putting you down, i wish you well and hope you can turn things around.
I@dusty I agree you are sad and pathetic. To lie and say you didn’t read it when we all know you did. Whatever you have to tell yourself. It’s funny that you think you’re the arbitrator of how certain people should act. You obviously do not know many successful people then, I know plenty of them and some of them are nice and some are jerks. To dismiss that I’m lying because I’m defending myself is ignorant on your part and you just wanting it to be a lie. Go back to your sad and pathetic life chump.
Vlad Jr.’s weight is listed at 235 which is actually 4lbs lighter than he came into camp last season. Knee inflammation doesn’t have to strictly be caused by his weight.
Never said strictly caused by weight, but excess weight can lead to major issues.
@rsox i think a lot of people also forget that jr is 6’2” so being 235ish isn’t that bad, heck i’m 6’5” and 200ish and people think i’m a bean pole. now if jr was like 5’7” and 235 then yea we can call him overweight
In that regard they should be more worried about Alejandro Kirk who checks in at a generous 5’8 and 245lbs
Weird, overly personal take. I’m not a Jays fan, but there has never been anything to suggest there’s anything wrong with Vlad’s character or work ethic.
Not personal at all actually, I’m basing off his body type and his age. He is only 23 and should be in peak physical shape for the next 7-8 years, but he is very heavy already and will only get bigger. His defenders on here keep saying “look at him he’s great last few years”, which I agree with. But he also should be because he’s still extremely young and is a naturally gifted hitter, but if he doesn’t change his training he might end up like Saño who was also highly touted before he got huge.
Totally ignoring the fact that the last 3 seasons he has consistently gotten SMALLER. That you don’t know that means you never watch games he is in.
Or that he has never hit the IL. That you don’t know that means you have no clue about him at all other than looking at the top of his BR page.
Or that hitting in MLB does not mean you have to be a 5% bodyfat kind of guy. That you don’t know that means you are not a baseball fan at all.
Guerrero is known for his incredible workouts and training habits. That you don’t know anything about his workout habits says a lot about you as a troll.
I will go ahead and say what the others here haven’t. You are a liar. You know nothing about baseball. You just want to troll and get a rise out of people. What a sad life you have.
He’s just a big guy, not necessarily mean he is a big eater. It’s hereditary to a point. If he worked out hard 365 days a year, he would still be big. It’s obviously not hurting his production, but I do agree that, because of his size, he might have knee problems or whatever as he gets older. However, no one knows if that will happen. If he keeps his weight in check, he might be ok.
Bro, saying “he looks fat so he must be lazy” is the definition of personal. Athletes’ bodies work different than normal people’s: 6′ 2″, 240 can be perfectly viable if it’s mostly muscle, which it absolutely is for Vlad. Where do you think the power comes from? There has never been any word from Toronto that Vlad has problems with conditioning, and unless there is it’s a real toxic fan move to be making assumptions like this solely based on appearances and stereotypes
Haha aww it’s funny how you resort to name calling, that’s how I automatically know that you believe what I’m saying but have no educated response. You’re an inbred dolt but that doesn’t keep you from trolling others on here. Go back to smelling your fingers and keep the baseball talk to the rest of us.
Bro, where did your fake quote come from? I never said that, go back and check. I said that he obviously doesn’t take great care of himself, as evidenced by his body and what many others have already made similar comments. A heavy 21 year old can get away with a lot more than an even heavier 29 year old. I know reading comprehension is difficult for most people but try and follow, I never said he hasn’t been great the last few years. My original comment was that his body type does not age well and it may end up similar to Saño. For some reason a group of people are interpreting that to mean I said he sucks and is lazy. Not sure how they got that but I guess intelligence isn’t a requirement on this site.
You got destroyed Moonlight. Just stop.
And selling season ticket packages by phone aint an FO job.
Destroyed by who?? Haha oh yes, the old “you’re lying” response. That’s how I know how pathetic you are, I know the truth and deep down so do you even if you don’t want to publicly admit it. Now go back to cleaning toilets little boy clepto.
Watching 3 episodes of Law and Order does not make you a lawyer. Except in Mississippi. Or maybe there it’s 5 episodes. Whatever. I think maybe you should go back and watch the whole first season again, Just to renew your Law License. As for me I’m a former Supreme Court Justice who was the Captain of his College Baseball Team and An Ace Fighter Pilot in Vietnam who was in a movie with Christopher Walken and De Niro. But I’m not braggin or anything. In fact I’m kinda modest about it. Usually
Let me ask: did you make it the full season or were you fired for missing your quota??
Or worse, were you fired for inability to resist going into the women’s restroom to drop a deuce?
But you have succeeded at one thing: you have managed to turn it into an insult fest vs your original point that Vlad was injury prone due to being fat, which was THOROUGHLY de-stroyed by people who have knowledge.
Omg I got “destroyed” by you and three others who liked your comment!! I’m so sad now, I guess I should’ve listened to your wise words. Clepto you’re so smart and I want to be just like you!!!!
I’m going to respond like Unclepedomike from now on, here it goes:
“How dare you post an opinion that differs from mine?! You are automatically a liar. Everything you have posted is untrue. Your career and work history is all a lie because I don’t agree with your opinion. Even though I can’t admit you’ve done more in life than I ever will, I’ll just keep repeating you’re a liar to impress the same 4-5 people who keep liking my comments. And see, those 5 likes I have received on my comments are clear proof that I am correct and you are not. The entire internet has spoken and they have deemed only I speak the truth. I cannot believe you offered such a controversial take that overweight people tend to have more injuries?? Everyone knows this is pure bunk and I have never seen a physician make that correlation. In fact, I have even heard GM’s say they prefer their players to be heavy because that body type tends to age very well! I know even though you never said Vlad was a bad player currently, that obviously what you meant because you have some personal vendetta against him. Only I know this because I can read everyone’s mind on this site. And the fact that I know everyone who posts on this site, I automatically know that you must’ve joined this site yesterday or changed your old name for some other nefarious reason. It doesn’t matter that you can show me that you’ve been a member for over 10 years with the same name, I know you faked all that also because it’s impossible for me to be wrong. So go back to your fake attorney job or whatever else you lie about because my small brain cannot commute being defeated. I’ll keep repeating that you’re lying because I have nothing else to offer up..liar. You obviously don’t know anything about baseball, not like me who knows everything, because you’re a liar and have a fake career. Your vendetta against Vlad is so obvious and he is great. You know nothing liar, and I am the president of the U.S. haha I made up something just like I’m accusing you of doing because I’m so funny and clever. You’re such a liar and have done nothing compared to me. I know so much about baseball and no one can compare to me!!”
Unclepedomike, did I do that right? Did I get all the bingo spots right on your troll card? Give me some pointers on your brilliance. I have so much to learn from you.
There’s so much wrong with all that it’s impossible to figure out why you keep insisting you’re a Lawyer in a Law firm and post crap like this. And your response to dusty screams High School Twitter Fool than Educated human being. Good Luck with your future posts, Keep em coming, They’re ridiculous at best.
Law firm of Dewey, Cheatem and Howe more likely.
@unclepedomike, oh my gosh you’re so right I’m so busted. I cannot believe I attempted to fool someone as brilliant as you. I stayed up for days thinking up a fake career and work history to impress you only to have you debunk the whole scheme with a simple “you’re lying” response. Great work Nancy Drew! I can tell from your witty responses that you must be really successful in life and you must be a real asset at your place of employment. Please tell the rest of us unworthy commenters, is making the first million dollars really the hardest like everyone says? I hope I never encounter anyone like you in the courtroom, and by that I mean the fake, imaginary courtroom because I’m not really an attorney. Maybe you can help me think up another fake background to impress others since you so easily pierced the veil on my other futile attempt. Do the editors on this site thank you daily for all the wise wisdom you spit on here daily? I’m sure you probably hear this all the time, but you really are a genius. You probably utterly destroy anyone else who dares to have a differing opinion than you! This site is so thankful for your bravery and your service, not sure what we would do without you. Please offer up more comedy for us peons, you’re always good for a laugh.
He needs to lose some weight, Plus running on that turf doesn’t help. install real grass in that concrete jungle you call Rogers Centre
There isn’t a better centre in baseball, though.
@Winslow Leach
Might want to have a look at a recent pic of Rogers Center. Most of the infield is dirt.
Bart-Quit defending that eyesore. The Jays need to build a REAL ballpark. Seriously.
@Winslow,
Name a better centre in all of baseball? Can’t do it, can you?
Not defending Winslow, but I don’t think there is another “Centre” in the MLB.
Pheno-It’s okay . There isn’t that’s why that’s the only retort he has.
@phenom,
You have reached the crux of the matter. Good work!
How about when he has to his warm ups before the game? He has to do it out in the OF.
He’s not anchored at 1B during the game. he has to cover between 1st and 2nd.
There is dirt between 1st an 2nd, and 2nd and 3rd, and up the foul lines.
Ummmm, OK. Winslow, have you ever WATCHED a baseball game? Its ALL dirt between 1B and 2B.
To be fair, a lot of artificial turf stadiums did not have dirt infields in the relatively recent past. When the Jays won the division in 2015 there was no dirt between first and second bases.
Vlad Sr knees were ruined by all those years playing on that “parking lot” in Montreal.
Vlad Jr was not in Toronto in 2015.
The DR is still stacked. I still make them the favorites to win the WBC. Let Vlad rest up.
Right. They just lost a valuable bench piece lol
@unclepedomike, Oh wow well if you’re making them the favorites then it’s a lock. Never mind that many others have made similar statements because they obviously boast a lot of talent. Your insight and knowledge about baseball is second to none! What is your profession that allows you to provide such valuable knowledge??
Injuries. Here we go. Geez, will the AL East be the division of least in 23? Toronto here, BoSox with starting pitching strife, the Os with Bautista and Tate featuring a banged up bullpen back end. Who’s next to “report in”? NY or Tampa? Inevitable?
Tampa already has the Glasnow issue. NY and Montas. Injury luck and depth will play a big role in the standings for the competitive divisions like the AL east. It’s why I like spring training. It’s nice to see how the next men up might fare against major leaguers. Speaking of… what’s the deal with your Orioles and not broadcasting spring games? On top of that, your spring park doesn’t have pitch tracking equipment so you can’t really get much information if using the Gameday feed.
Oof, forgot about Montas. And agreed, “next man up” is huge in this sport. In regards to the Orioles minimal exposure and lack of tech equipment this spring, the team on the field was not the only thing the owner gutted a couple years back.
That’s a shame. You’d think there would be appetite from the fans to see some of the young guys who might be ready soon to join Adley and Gunnar. They own a majority stake in the broadcaster. You’d think it’d be easy no brainer content to fill your network.
I would hope if it came to it, we’d see Spencer Horwitz at 1B over any starts there by Whit Merrifield. I guess if Belt can handle a good load at 1B, it’s better to call up a more diverse guy, but if Belt is a non factor in the field I’d love to see what Horwitz could do with a run of regular playing time. Obviously, the best case is that Vlad is fine and plays almost every day again.