Blue Jays' Guerrero pulls out of World Baseball Classic because of injury
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is out of the World Baseball Classic.
Guerrero won’t suit up for the Dominican Republic due to right knee discomfort, the team said Saturday.
“He’s just doing treatment today and staying off of his feet,” manager John Schneider said Saturday, according to the team’s website. “We’re just hoping that’s the best thing for him right now.
“It was an awkward move yesterday, so at this stage in camp we’re being ultra cautious. He felt a little bit better today than he did yesterday, so we’re just taking it one day at a time.”
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will not participate in the WBC now, the #BlueJays tell us.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) March 4, 2023
Guerrero sustained the injury running the bases in a spring training game on Friday in Dunedin, Florida. An MRI revealed no structural damage, though there is some minor inflammation.
He was scheduled to leave the Blue Jays to join the Dominican Republic team on Sunday. They open the World Baseball Classic on March 11 against Venezuela.
Toronto is expected to know more about his status in the coming days.
UPDATE: INF Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was removed from today's game with right knee discomfort.
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 3, 2023
Guerrero hit .274 with 32 homers and 97 RBIs in 160 games for the Blue Jays last season.
The 23-year-old is the third Toronto player with withdraw from the World Baseball Classic. Catcher Alejandro Kirk opted not to represent Mexico after he was away with the birth of his first child, and reliever Jordan Romano won’t suit up for Italy.
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