John Schneider Shares Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Update After Blue Jays' Loss to Pirates
The Toronto Blue Jays entered Sunday on a four-game winning streak and a fully healthy Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but their 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates changed both fronts.
The 27-year-old was hit in the right elbow by a 92-mile-per-hour sinker from Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller in the fifth inning and exited the game. The Blue Jays later announced that the superstar first basemansustained a contusion in the elbow, and his X-rays came back negative.
After the game, manager John Schneider said that the ball hit Guerrero "in a weird spot," which initially made his arm feel numb, via MLB.com's Keegan Matheson. However, he added that it's "definitely a possibility" that the three-time All-MLB First Team honoree plays against theMiami Marlins on Monday.
John Schneider says the ball caught Vladimir Guerrero Jr. "in a weird spot" on his elbow which made his arm feel numb at first.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) May 24, 2026
They'll see how he feels tomorrow. For now, the initial X-ray was negative and Schneider feels like it's good news. #BlueJays
Blue Jays Got Lucky With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Injury
Every sports team needs its best player healthy to have a chance of winning a championship, but Toronto especially needs its star. The club is 25-28 after Sunday's loss, good for third place in the AL East and 11 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first. Guerrero has played all 53 games, and it's still below .500.
If the five-time All-Star misses extended time this year, it will be hard for the Blue Jays to stay afloat. They rank 27th in baseball with a .679 team OPS, and he's one of only four of their players (minimum 40 games played) with a .750-plus OPS. He's slashing .287/.377/.372 with three homers and 22 RBIs.
That's why Toronto must be thankful that Keller's sinker didn't fracture Guerrero's elbow, as that would've kept the latter player out for at least several weeks. For example, Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach missed the remainder of last season after fracturing his right elbow on June 28, per MLB.com.
For the Blue Jays to return to the World Series after finishing one win away from winning last year's title, they need Guerrero available and playing at his 2025 level. The 6-foot, 245-pounder slashed .292/.381/.467 with 23 homers and 84 RBIs over 156 regular-season games before slashing .397/.494/.795 with eight homers and 15 RBIs over 18 playoff contests.
Up next for Toronto is a three-game home series against Miami before hitting the road to face the Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves. Right-handed pitcher Trey Yesavage will start against Marlins right-hander Janson Junk on Monday, with the game starting at 7:07 p.m. ET.
Related: Blue Jays Make Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Announcement After Leaving Pirates Game
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This story was originally published May 24, 2026 at 3:58 PM.