Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Toronto Blue Jays’ power hitter, has been cleared to return to action after being on the injured list for seven days. He is slated to play against the New York Yankees on Saturday.
Guerrero sustained an injury during a game against the Yankees last week in Toronto. The incident occurred in the sixth inning when he collided with New York’s rookie shortstop, George Lombard Jr., in a peculiar play at third base.
The collision happened as Guerrero slid into third base and was struck on the head by Lombard’s knee and thigh, causing his helmet to come off. Despite the injury, Guerrero managed to score the tying run before leaving the game.
Following his return to the team on Friday, Guerrero successfully passed all concussion tests. He also participated in a minor league rehab game for single-A Dunedin on Thursday, where he doubled and took swings in the batting cage.
In the lineup for Saturday’s game, Guerrero was placed second after the Blue Jays suffered a 3-1 loss to the Yankees in the series opener on Friday. To accommodate Guerrero’s return, the Jays sent infielder/outfielder Davis Schneider to triple-A Buffalo.
Guerrero currently holds a batting average of .263 with seven home runs and 46 runs batted in (RBIs). Prior to the injury, he was on a hot streak, hitting .310 (7 for 29) in his last seven games.
