MIAMI – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. tested his sore left hamstring for the first time since aggravating it Friday afternoon, running sprints along the periphery of the infield at LoanDepot Park under the supervision of Blue Jays team trainers.
Guerrero Jr. said he felt good running at 80 per cent effort and taking swings in the visiting batting cages Friday, but even after an encouraging day, he’s prepared to be patient, making sure that when he does return, he’s again at full strength.
“I still need to run the bases and take ground balls,” he told Sportsnet. “Today’s the first day I’ve hit BP. It’s going to be soon, but we’ve got to take it day by day.”
Monday in Pittsburgh, Guerrero Jr. pointed to his left hamstring before exiting the game in the fifth inning. He hasn’t played since, but resuming baseball activities so quickly indicates that his return could indeed come soon.
“For me, my mindset is fine,” said Guerrero Jr., who has 21 home runs and an .894 OPS this year. “Something happened for a reason. For me, it’s nothing negative, it’s nothing big. I feel good as of now, but like I said, I’ll follow the program and when they tell me I’m ready, I’m ready.”
Ty France has filled in at first base in Guerrero Jr.’s absence, while Ernie Clement has also played some first base this year. Interestingly, outfielder Joey Loperfido has been playing some first at triple-A in a move that could give the Blue Jays another option if needed.
Of course, if Guerrero Jr.’s recent progress continues, he could be back in the lineup within a few days, and such contingency planning wouldn’t matter as much. But rushing that process doesn’t seem to interest Guerrero Jr. or the team’s coaching staff.
“We all know how important he is to us,” manager John Schneider said. “We don’t want him to not be in the lineup. Trying to learn from past injuries of that nature, we definitely can’t afford to lose him for an extended period of time, so we’re being cautious, yeah, but at the same time trying to get him back to him.”
Meanwhile, two other prominent Blue Jays were on hand in Miami: Anthony Santander and Alek Manoah.
Santander has picked up the volume and intensity of his swings as he ramps back up from the shoulder injury that will end up costing him at least half of the 2025 season. So far, the switch-hitter has hit balls off a tee and taken batting practice, but he has not yet progressed to hitting against velocity. Next up, he’ll return to Toronto to continue his work at Rogers Centre.
“We’re really focused on the hitting part of it, and I think everything else follows suit,” Schneider said.
There’s still no timeline for a return to big-league action, but Santander’s build-up will clearly require weeks, given the amount of time he’s already missed.
As for Manoah, he’s slated to throw a side session in Miami over the weekend before returning to the team’s triple-A Buffalo affiliate, where he’s expected to make another start early next week. The Blue Jays have prolonged his 30-day rehab stint with one 10-day extension and can use up to two more if needed, potentially extending his rehab window through September 12.
Lastly, right-handers Nick Sandlin and Bowden Francis are still throwing, but neither is pitching off a mound yet, indicating that both have multiple significant hurdles to clear before becoming immediate MLB options.
