Good time to slow down Guerrero hype
Top prospect pulled out of game for second time in less than a week with injury
MANCHESTER. N.H. — For now, John Schneider is the keeper of the most prized jewel in the Blue Jays’ possession.
So you better believe that when Vlad Guerrero Jr. left the field due to injury Wednesday, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats manager was hot on his heels from the dugout to the clubhouse.
Guerrero had just taken himself out of a game for the second time in the past three he has dressed. And for a franchise foundering at the bigleague level, the last thing the Jays need now is to have a setback with Vlad Jr., the highest-rated prospect in baseball.
The mildly good news following the Cats’ 7-6 win over the Akron Rubberducks (for real) was that Guerrero “checked out fine” and there was no serious damage to his leg.
The mildly concerning news is Guerrero has left a game with two different injuries since Saturday, perhaps a sign the hard-working kid needs some rest. That and the fact there was a big bag of ice on his knee, potential evidence that 58 games into a record-setting season in the double-A Eastern League is taking its toll.
“It shouldn’t be anything serious,” Schneider told Postmedia following the game at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. “We’re just being careful and (making sure) that he’s ready to roll. If anything, we’re being a little bit cautious.”
It should be a message to the Jays’ head office in Toronto that it may be time to be a little over cautious with Guerrero over the next handful of days. While Schneider suggested the 19-year-old third baseman will be out of the lineup for the next “game or two,” why not add a couple more to that?
We certainly wouldn’t be surprised if word has already filtered from the Rogers Centre to the banks of the Merrimack River, where the Fisher Cats stadium is located, to do just that.
From the start, Jays general manager Ross Atkins has maintained there is no rush for Guerrero on anything, meaning to move from New Hampshire to triple-A Buffalo and, ultimately, to the big leagues.
He’s comfortable here and progressing defensively as he showed on a couple of crisp plays Thursday before leaving in the fourth inning. And with the “promote Vladdy” calls after every misstep that happens with the Jays, maybe everyone can take a deep breath now.
After an 0-for-4 night Tuesday, Guerrero was the closest to anything resembling a slump in his burgeoning pro career. He took a 3-for-19 run at the plate into Wednesday’s game and was in “danger” of having his batting average slip below .400. The horror!
So what did the powerful son of 2018 hall of fame inductee Vlad Guerrero do? He promptly went 2-for-2 at the plate, including a ripped line-drive single to left field in the first inning.
It was in his second at-bat where the trouble surfaced, however. After a chopper up the middle, Vlad Jr. didn’t show his usual hustle, though still managed to reach first for an infield single. When Bo Bichette followed with another single, Guerrero laboured to second, sliding safely into the bag. With the self-awareness that is one sign of maturity that has impressed Jays’ staff, Guerrero signalled that he wanted out.
There were sighs of relief all around when he returned to the dugout in the fifth inning, especially from Schneider, who has been Guerrero’s manager the past two seasons. Guerrero was seen taking treatment after the game but was walking without a noticeable limp and seemed in good spirits.
If anything, the minor setback should temper calls for Guerrero’s immediate promotion, especially to the big team, where the Jays are hardly the environment for a prodigy to make his debut.
He’ll be headed to Buffalo eventually, but one of the attractions of New Hampshire has been the excellent care and treatment he’s received from Fisher Cats staff as he transitions from a big kid with a ton of power to one who can be a capable big-league third baseman.
Like any player, especially one with such huge upside, Guerrero will be evaluated over the next couple of days, treated, and then he will return to action.
There is no rush, however. Let the leg (or legs) heal and rest, let the lungs fill with the great New Hampshire air and then let the youngest player in the league carry along on his predicted path to greatness.