Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is adding to an undesirable career high.
The struggling Toronto Blue Jays first baseman will sit out for a second straight game on Thursday, increasing his personal record for games missed in a season to eight.
Guerrero Jr. missed Wednesday's series finale against the Houston Astros, and will now also be out for Thursday's makeup game (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+, 2:20 p.m. ET / 11:20 a.m. PT) against the Chicago Cubs.
Replacing him at first is Kazuma Okamoto, who will start there for the fifth time this season. Okamoto will also bat second, Guerrero's usual spot in the order.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider described Guerrero as "tight and tired" at the plate after the Blue Jays' 7-2 loss to the Astros on Tuesday. He went 0-3 with a walk — his third straight game without a hit.
The frustration and pain were visible in the eighth inning of that game, when Guerrero tried to beat out a grounder and then stood near first base, bent over with his hands on his knees. He stayed in the game after a brief chat with first-base coach Mark Budzinski.
According to Schneider, Wednesday was "just a day off" for Guerrero amid an extended stretch of games. The manager added that Guerrero is dealing with hamstring tightness and other stuff, but that “he wants to be out there, he wants to be contributing more than he is.”
The Blue Jays are in the middle of a stretch of 17 straight games, and 30 in 31 days. He also sat July 29 due to right hamstring tightness sustained the previous night.
Guerrero has posted the worst offensive numbers of his career so far in 2026, with just six home runs, 44 RBI and a .687 OPS entering Tuesday.
The 27-year-old is in the first season of a 14-year, $500-million contract that runs until he is 40 years old.
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