The Toronto Blue Jays have officially announced a concerning update regarding their biggest star. First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been placed on the MLB seven-day concussion injured list after leaving Friday night’s game against the New York Yankees. Toronto selected outfielder Daz Cameron to replace Guerrero on the major league roster. To create a spot for Cameron on the 40-man roster, the Blue Jays designated right-hander Lazaro Estrada for assignment.
MORE: MLB awards predictions for the 2026 season Guerrero’s injury is more serious than initially thought Apr 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Chicago White Sox during the sixth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Guerrero exited Friday’s game after colliding with Yankees shortstop George Lombard Jr. while sliding into third base. Initially, the Blue Jays didn’t appear overly concerned. Manager John Schneider described the decision to remove Guerrero as precautionary and said the six-time All-Star was dealing with “a little bit of a headache.” That changed Saturday. Guerrero underwent concussion testing, and the results led Toronto to place him on the seven-day concussion IL. He will now miss at least the next week as he works through the injury.
MORE: 4 MLB teams most likely to win the World Series, not including the Dodgers Blue Jays desperately need their star to get going The injury comes at a particularly difficult time for Guerrero and Toronto. After hitting .354 with a .907 OPS and 158 wRC+ in April, Guerrero has struggled badly since then. Over his next 84 games, he’s hitting just .230 with a .616 OPS and 74 wRC+. His underlying contact numbers remain strong, but he’s simply not producing his usual impact. Guerrero currently has a 43% hard-hit rate, well below his 49.6% career average, while his barrel rate has fallen below league average for the first time since his rookie season in 2019. Perhaps the strangest statistic of all: Guerrero has zero home runs at home in Toronto this season. All seven of his home runs have come on the road. That’s a massive problem for the reigning AL champions, who rank second-to-last in MLB in both runs scored and wRC+. Toronto is still just one game out of a Wild Card spot, but getting back into the postseason picture will be difficult without Guerrero returning to form. For now, the Blue Jays will simply hope their franchise player can clear the concussion protocol and get back on the field as quickly as possible.
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