Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. departed Tuesday night's 8-6 loss to the Washington Nationals with tightness in his right hamstring. He was replaced by Kazuma Okamoto in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Guerrero, a six-time All-Star, grounded into a double play and reached on an infield single in his two plate appearances before leaving the game. Blue Jays manager John Schneider indicated that Guerrero felt the tightness after touching first base on his single and turning toward second on an errant throw.
"He was a little sore and he wanted to stay in," Schneider said. "It was my call just to be careful with him and not have anything worse happen. … He checked out pretty good and we’ll see how he is tomorrow. It’s a quick turnaround and, again, just trying to be smart with him. I don’t want to lose him for an extended period of time."
This season, Guerrero is batting .265 with six home runs and 44 RBIs, holding a .702 OPS. This marks a significant decline from the previous season, where he hit 23 homers, recorded 84 RBIs, and achieved an .848 OPS, contributing to the Blue Jays' AL East title. The 27-year-old slugger has consistently played at least 156 games in each of the last five seasons and has appeared in 103 of the Blue Jays' 108 games this year.
The Blue Jays currently stand in last place in the AL East with a 49-59 record, trailing the division-leading Rays by 14 games. They are also 5 1/2 games out of a playoff spot, following their appearance in Game 7 of the World Series last year. The team faces further uncertainty with veteran starter Kevin Gausman potentially being traded at the deadline and outfielder/designated hitter George Springer set to become a free agent after the season.