Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s recovery is taking a bit longer than what was originally expected.
The Toronto Blue Jays superstar has once again been left out of the lineup as they gear up for the series opener against the Miami Marlins on Friday.
Guerrero missed the team's last two games against the Pittsburgh Pirates after exiting Monday's outing with hamstring inflammation. He is currently listed as day-to-day.
Manager John Schneider told reporters ahead of Friday's game that Guerrero did pre-game sprints on the field, hit in the batting cage and is slated to hit on the field. He added that he may be available off the bench should the team need him.
Taking Guerrero's spot at first base will once again be Ty France, who is set to bat sixth for the Jays.
Schneider told reporters after Tuesday's 7-3 win over the Pirates that while Guerrero was feeling better, they would likely keep him out of the lineup for Wednesday's series finale to give him an extended opportunity to recover.
However, the off-day on Thursday wasn't enough for the Blue Jays to feel comfortable re-inserting their star slugger into the lineup.
The injury initially occurred in the bottom of the third inning on Monday, when Guerrero made an impressive stretch in the third inning, doing the splits on a Bo Bichette throw to save a run and record the final out.
Guerrero came back out in the bottom of the fourth and recorded two more putouts.
Guerrero, like the first-place Blue Jays, has reached top form this season, recording a .298/.396/.498 slash line on the season with 21 home runs and 69 RBIs. He entered play Monday with a 1.118 OPS and six homers through 15 games in August.
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The Toronto Blue Jays will look to clinch the AL East with a win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. Catch the action on Sportsnet or Sportsnet+, starting at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT.
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Despite the 26-year-old not suiting up on Friday, the Blue Jays will be getting a big boost to their squad as deadline-day acquisition Shane Bieber is set to make his first start with his new team.
Since joining the Blue Jays, Bieber has made three starts with triple-A Buffalo, recording a 2.04 ERA and 16 strikeouts while allowing just two walks over 17.2 innings.
Toronto leads the AL East at 73-52, sitting 4.5 games up of the New York Yankees and five ahead of the Boston Red Sox.
