The Toronto Blue Jays returned from the All-Star break on Friday night and were blown out by the Chicago White Sox in their series opener, losing 12-4.
Toronto moved Vladimir Guerrero Jr. back to first base for the matchup, and he batted second while going 1-for-4 with a walk.
Blue Jays Make Guerrero Jr. Change
After placing him in the No. 2 spot for the series opener, Blue Jays manager John Schneider made a lineup change for Saturday’s matchup against White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin.
The Blue Jays moved Guerrero Jr. down to the No. 3 spot in the order, while he remained at first base for the second straight game.
Celebrating 1992 & 1993 today ð #BlueJays50 pic.twitter.com/FjghRi4baf
â Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 18, 2026
The move comes as Schneider shifted George Springer from the outfield to designated hitter, allowing Nathan Lukes â who was not in Friday’s lineup â to move into the No. 2 spot behind leadoff hitter Ernie Clement.
Brandon Valenzuela, who served as the DH on Friday, will not be in the lineup against Martin on Saturday.
Guerrero Jr.’s 2026 Season
While Toronto’s season as a whole has been underwhelming after reaching the World Series less than a year ago, Guerrero Jr. continued his All-Star streak by earning his sixth consecutive selection.
However, he hasn’t displayed the same power fans have become accustomed to throughout his career.
Entering Saturday, Guerrero Jr. is batting .262 with a .356 slugging percentage and a .701 OPS.
He has recorded 391 plate appearances across 92 games, totaling 51 runs, 89 hits, six home runs, and 41 RBIs.
Those numbers are well below what Toronto has come to expect from him. Guerrero Jr. has hit at least 23 home runs in each of the last five seasons, including a career-high 48 homers in 2021 when he also recorded 111 RBIs.
He is currently on pace to set career lows in both home runs and RBIs, outside of his rookie season when he hit 15 homers with 69 RBIs and the shortened 2020 campaign when MLB played just 60 games.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Blue Jays Announce Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Change During White Sox Series appeared first on HEAVY.