Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. exits with hamstring tightness

Just as the Yankees won back-to-back series and started to chip away at the Blue Jays’ American League East lead, Toronto might have a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. injury to worry about. 

Guerrero, the Blue Jays’ superstar first baseman, exited Monday’s game after the sixth inning with hamstring tightness and will undergo an MRI exam, manager John Schneider said postgame.

“Hopefully he’s good to go in the next day or two,” Schneider said, according to The Athletic, “but he’s obviously really important.”

Schenider said the injury occurred when Guerrero was making a split in the field in the third inning, but the broadcast also captured him talking to someone in the dugout during the first inning while pointing at his left hamstring.

Guerrero’s acrobatic play in the third occurred on a throw from shortstop Bo Bichette to first base, helping the Blue Jays record an out with the Pirates’ Jared Triolo running.

Ty France replaced Guerrero — who has appeared in 124 of the Blue Jays’ 126 games in 2025 — in the lineup for the remainder of the game.

While the severity will remain unclear until the results of the MRI exam, any time Guerrero misses with the injury would be devastating for a Toronto team that holds a five-game lead in the East over the Yankees and Red Sox after falling, 5-2, to Pittsburgh.

Guerrero, who signed a 14-year, $500 million extension in April, had hit .300 with an .898 OPS, 21 homers and 68 RBIs this season entering Monday, when he struck out in his first at-bat before driving in a run — via a groundout — two frames later.

After a slow start to the year, the Blue Jays pieced together one of the best stretches in the majors this season to surge past the Yankees in the division standings and build an advantage ahead of the stretch run.

But the Yankees, following a brutal two months, have finally uncovered a bit of momentum, as they swept the Cardinals over the weekend after taking two of three games from the Twins.

They start a two-game set with the Rays on Tuesday in Tampa, while the Blue Jays — as they hold their breath about Guerrero’s status — continue a series with Pittsburgh.