The Toronto Blue Jays shook things up as they went for a series win against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
Toronto moved Vladimir Guerrero Jr. up from his usual three spot in the lineup to bat second against Detroit, with Yohendrick Piñango handling the leadoff duties and Daulton Varsho batting third.
It didn't take long for the switch to provide some encouraging early returns.
Facing Tigers starter Jack Flaherty, Guerrero broke a 23-game homerless drought with a first-inning blast. The designated hitter turned on an inside 0-2 fastball, lining the ball over the wall in left field.
It was Guerrero's first homer since April 20, and his first hit since May 9.
The two-spot continued to be kind to Guerrero in his next at-bat, when he took an awkward hack and a low-and-away slider, lofting the ball just out of the reach of second baseman Zach McKinstry and into the outfield for his second hit of the game.
Varsho, who doubled in the first, followed that up with a triple that brought Guerrero around to score.
Guerrero had stated his preference for batting third in the past, but with the star struggling, the Blue Jays and manager John Schneider moved him up in hopes of finding some better results.
Entering Sunday, the 27-year-old hadn't recorded a hit in three games and was 6-for-his-last-51 dating back to late April.
Guerrero discussed his struggles after Saturday's extra-innings win, saying that he's "not feeling right," but that he's "looking to hit one ball very hard."
For the season, Guerrero owned a .280/.370/.360 slash line before Sunday's breakthrough.
The lineup shift marked the first time Guerrero had hit second in the order since June 15, 2025.
For his career, the five-time all-star entered Sunday with a .774 OPS in 1,075 plate appearances when batting second and an .898 OPS in 2,412 plate appearances when hitting third.
0:34
