PITTSBURGH — They’re the last words you want to hear if you’re a Blue Jays fan.
Guerrero was removed from Monday’s game against the Pirates at PNC Park with left hamstring tightness, a surprise in the fifth inning when Ty France suddenly strolled out of the dugout and into the on-deck circle following Addison Barger.
In the bottom of the third, Guerrero dropped into the splits to make a tremendous pick on a throw from Bo Bichette, which ended the inning. That’s become one of his trademarks as a defender at first base, but at the time, he popped right back up and began to jog off the field.
Guerrero has been on a tear lately, completely recapturing the tear we witnessed through the late summer a year ago at the best possible time. He came into this series against the Pirates with a .333 average and a 1.012 OPS over the past 40 games since the beginning of July, including nine home runs and 24 RBIs. He’s always been close, but Vladdy has finally found that perfect balance of game-changing power while still being a true “hitter,” which has always been his greatest gift.
More updates on Guerrero are expected from manager John Schneider following the game.
