Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Goes Deep Twice, Tallies Three Hits
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 3-for-4 with two home runs, two RBI, and a stolen base in Thursday's victory over the Texas Rangers. The infielder launched two solo shots in the seventh and ninth innings. The 25-year-old has enjoyed an excellent bounce-back campaign after falling short over the past two seasons following his remarkable 2021 MVP campaign. This summer, Guerrero has held a stellar .322/.397/.553 slash line with 30 long balls and two swiped bags. His underlying metrics were remarkable, with a 55.6% hard-hit rate and 94.0 mph average exit velocity, suggesting he may have continued his development this summer. Guerrero should be one of the first corner infielders taken in drafts next spring due to his elite batting average and high-upside power production.
After an injury scare on Monday in which Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (toe) went for mid-game X-rays at Rogers Centre after fouling a ball off his left toe, he's back at first base on Tuesday and is hitting third against the visiting New York Mets and left-hander David Peterson. Obviously, X-rays came back negative, and the four-time All-Star slugger is back in there to face a left-handed hurler in the second game of the series. The 25-year-old has been Toronto's most consistent hitter all season long and needs to remain in all starting fantasy lineups. He has gone hitless in his last two contests, but Vladdy is still hitting .280 (7-for-25) in six games so far in September with a homer, two doubles and five RBI. Only six of his 28 long balls on the year have been against lefties, but he's also hit .327 (33-for-101) against them.
X-Rays Come Back Negative On Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s Foot
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (foot) fouled a ball off his toes on his left foot during Monday's 3-2 loss to the New York Mets at the Rogers Centre and underwent X-rays in the middle of the game, which came back negative. The Blue Jays will see how Guerrero feels on Tuesday, but it sounds like he has avoided a serious injury. Guerrero, who was serving as the designated hitter in this one, played the entire game and finished 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts in the loss. Fantasy managers should consider Vlad to be day-to-day for now, but don't be surprised if Toronto holds him out of the starting lineup as a precaution on Tuesday. If the 25-year-old misses any time, rookie Spencer Horwitz will see more time at first. Guerrero, who has been an All-Star each of the last four seasons, is having a great season with a .324/.395/.554 slash line, 28 homers and 94 RBI in 141 games.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is out of the starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Minnesota Twins. The team decided to give Guerrero a rest day here after he had started in the last eight games. During the span, Guerrero collected 14 hits with a batting average over .450, so fantasy managers that held onto him are getting rewarded in the second half of the season. Spencer Horwitz will cover first base and bat third versus right-hander Bailey Ober. The 26-year-old has racked up five hits in his last two games and has a favorable matchup on Sunday. Fantasy managers that are looking for help should consider Horwitz as a possible option.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Goes Deep, Has Multi-Hit Game On Saturday
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had another solid game on Saturday as he hit a solo shot in the eighth inning to go along with a RBI double during the Blue Jays' 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. While the story of the game on Saturday was Bowden Francis' dominant performance, Guerrero Jr.'s production helped secure the win for Toronto. He now has 27 HR and 83 RBI on the season and leads the Blue Jays in both categories. His 163 OPS+ also ranks just four points behind his 167 OPS+ in 2021 when he finished second in the AL MVP race behind Shohei Ohtani. Having Guerrero Jr. in your fantasy lineup should be a no-brainer at this point as Toronto winds down its season in a low stress environment. Expect him to be in tomorrow's lineup against Angels' scheduled starter Tyler Anderson, who he is 5-9 against in his career.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is getting the day off on Friday night against the Los Angeles Angels at Rogers Centre. Guerrero will get his first day of rest in the second half of the season amidst a breakout offensively since the All-Star break. The Blue Jays have used Vladdy twice at third base this week and also as the designated hitter to get rookie Spencer Horwitz's bat into the lineup at first base. Horwitz is back at first and batting third on Friday, with George Springer serving as the DH and batting leadoff, and rookie Addison Barger at third and in the eight-hole against Angels right-hander Jack Kochanowicz. The 25-year-old Guerrero has been red-hot since the All-Star break, slashing an incredible .400/.479/.825 with a 1.304 OPS, 12 homers, 13 doubles, a triple, 26 RBI and 28 runs scored in 32 games. He'll be back in action on Saturday against the Halos.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Starting At Third Base Again
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is making another start at third base and will hit third in Wednesday's game against the Cincinnati Reds and right-hander Nick Martinez at Rogers Centre. It will be Guerrero's second straight start at the hot corner and only his eighth time this year manning the position, as most of his work has come at first base for Toronto. Rookie Spencer Horwitz is starting at first base and is hitting cleanup for the Jays. It's been a disappointing year for Toronto, but Vladdy has been one of their bright spots, slashing .318/.390/.552 with a .942 OPS, 26 home runs, 81 RBI and 73 runs scored through 125 games in his fourth straight All-Star campaign. The 25-year-old slugger has been one of the best hitters in the league since the All-Star break, batting .416 (47-for-113) with 12 homers, 13 doubles, a triple and 26 RBI in 30 games played. Keep him in your lineups.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Stays Hot With Solo Homer Monday
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. continued his torrid second half in Monday's 6-3 loss to the Reds. Guerrero Jr. went 1-for-3 with a solo home run. He was also hit by a pitch. The 25-year-old quickly welcomed Julian Aguiar to his first career big-league start, demolishing a first-inning breaking pitch into the second deck of the left-field seats. Guerrero Jr. has provided top-tier fantasy production in the second half of the season, slashing .413/.488/.881 with 12 HR and 26 RBI in 109 at-bats. His power boost could be due to raising his average launch angle up to 9.8 degrees in the second half, which would be the second-highest mark of his career.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Homers, Drives In Three On Wednesday
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stayed hot on Wednesday, going 3-for-5 with a double and his 25th home run of the season in a 9-2 win over the Angels. The 25-year-old also collected three RBI in the contest. He's now homered in back-to-back games and has hit safely in 24 of his last 25. The 4x All-Star is now the author of a robust .323-25-80-72-2 line with a .404 wOBA and 167 wRC+. If not for Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr., you might be looking at an AL MVP contender.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Records Two Hits, Extends Hit Streak To 21 Games
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extended his hit streak to 21 games on Friday night, notching two hits and scoring a run in Toronto's 3-1 win over the Oakland Athletics. Both of the 25-year-old's hits were singles, and he now has a .946 OPS on the season. Though Toronto is well outside of the playoff picture, Vladdy continues to give Blue Jays fans, and fantasy managers alike, something to watch for every single night. What's even more impressive is that Guerrero's .402 wOBA is paired with a .413 xwOBA, meaning even with how ridiculously good as he's been, some positive regression is coming his way still. Fantasy managers need to ensure they keep Vladdy in their lineups. He will look to extend his hit streak to 22 games on Saturday when the Blue Jays face off against the A's scheduled starter Osvaldo Bido.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
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Blue Jays
