Blue Jays Announce Troubling Vladimir Guerrero Jr. News After Exiting Starting Lineup

Toronto Blue Jaysfirst basemanVladimir Guerrero Jr. is in the middle of a career-worst season. The 27-year-old superstar has posted a .268 batting average, .347 on-base percentage, .695 OPS, four home runs and 34 RBIs across 81 games.

The Blue Jays have had a disappointing season after last year's dream run to the World Series, and it is hard to point the blame at anyone more than Guerrero.

He is the face of the franchise and only in year one of his massive 14-year, $500 million contract. He is a five-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger and Gold Glove award winner, so the expectations are naturally high, and he has fallen well short of them this year.

Guerrero has not been at full strength this season, which may be contributing to his struggles. He has continued to deal with back tightness throughout June, missing multiple games due to the injury. However, he had been trying to push through it, and it had not flared up in over a week.

Unfortunately, it flared up again before Tuesday's game against the New York Mets. Guerrero was originally included in the starting lineup but was scratched hours before game time.

Luis Urias entered the lineup in his place, stepping in defensively at second base, with Ernie Clement shifting to the hot corner and rookie Sean Keys taking over the vacant spot at first base.

Moments later, the Blue Jays confirmed the reason for his removal. "UPDATE: 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was removed from tonight's starting lineup with back tightness," the team wrote on X.

Manager John Schneider will likely provide further updates on Guerrero's condition after the game.

It is still unclear whether this is a day-to-day situation or, given that this is the third time the back has flared up this month, whether the Blue Jays may be forced to place him on the 10-day injured list.

Related: Vladimir Guerrero Sends Message After Bo Bichette’s First Game Against Blue Jays

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Texas A&M Battling Texas for SEC Pitcher in Transfer Portal

Texas A&M Battling Texas for SEC Pitcher in Transfer Portal

After an improved sophomore season under head coach Michael Earley, Texas A&M is likely to lose key contributors to the MLB Draft, including weekend arms like Weston Moss and Shane Sdao. 

In 2026, the Aggies struggled on the mound, allowing a Southeastern Conference-high 90 home runs, while posting a 5.24 team ERA. Despite one of the nation’s most explosive batting lineups, Earley had no choice but to revamp his coaching staff ahead of the 2027 season. 

Earley's latest hire, Barry Enright, arrives in College Station with extensive MLB experience that has quickly transformed A&M into a premier destination for veteran arms. As the Aggies look to rebuild their rotation, Enright’s resume may already be paying off in the transfer portal.

Texas A&M in Mix for LSU Transfer Marcos Paz

After a standalone season at LSU, right-handed pitcher Marcos Paz has generated high-level interest from prestigious SEC programs such as Texas, A&M and Georgia, per reports from Matt Moscona of LouisianaSports.net.

Out of Hebron High School in Carrollton, Texas, Paz ranked No. 3 in Texas and No. 22 in the nation according to Perfect Game Best High School RHPs. 

Before his freshman season at LSU, Paz received high praise, ranking No. 33 among Perfect Game’s 2026 Top 100 College Freshmen and No. 7 according to Prep Baseball Report.

Despite a 1-4 record in 2026, Paz recorded 40 strikeouts and allowed only 5 home runs over 29.1 innings, offering developmental upside with four years of eligibility remaining. 

The Carrollton native faced A&M on April 18, securing three strikeouts over the course of two innings. Though the Tigers fell 7-2, Paz brought down three straight Aggies in the eighth inning, allowing only a single hit by Jake Duer in the ninth.

With a commitment, Paz has the opportunity to represent the next generation of A&M pitchers in the MLB — but he’s not locked down yet. 

Luckily for A&M, Nolan Cain is back in Aggieland. 

Cain previously spent three seasons with A&M from 2022-2024, lifting the Aggies to a pair of College World Series appearances, including the program’s first College World Series Finals appearance in 2024. 

Heading into 2027, Cain joins Enright and Earley as A&M's associate head coach and recruiting coordinator, forming one of the nation's strongest combinations of recruiting and professional experience in College Station. Though Paz’ commitment remains to be seen, the Aggies have positioned themselves as a serious contender for one of the SEC's most promising young arms.

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Born and raised in Aggieland, Trey Bohne is a homegrown journalist for Texas A&M Aggies on SI. He is a junior communications major, minoring in Journalism at Texas A&M University. He is also a writer for A&M’s student newspaper, The Battalion, where he has experience covering football, baseball, softball, track, tennis, men’s and women’s basketball and soccer. Across both of his writing platforms, Trey constantly asks the age-old question: how does this affect Lebron’s legacy?