Vladdy leaves Jays game with knee discomfort

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. left Friday’s spring training game against Tampa Bay because of right knee discomfort.

Guerrero walked toward the clubhouse with an athletic trainer in the second inning and was replaced defensively by Rainer Nunez to start the third.

“Just checking it out, seeing how he is,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “We’ll see how he feels tomorrow. Reallym just playing it safe at this point and this part of camp.”

Schneider said no tests were scheduled for Friday and a decision will be made Saturday whether to schedule further evaluations.

Guerrero had an RBI single during the first inning in his lone at-bat. He went awkwardly into second base later in the inning.

The slugger hit .274 with 32 homers and 97 RBIs in 160 games last year.

Guerrero is on the Dominican Republic roster for this month’s World Baseball Classic and is scheduled to leave after Sunday’s game to join the team.

WINDY DAY

Toronto right-hander Kevin Gausman was blown off balance on the mound by gusty winds in his first spring training start against Tampa Bay.

“I worked hard in the offseason to put on some weight, but that wind just knocked me right off,” Gausman said with a smile. “I got lucky that the (pitch) clock manager actually kind of noticed it and re-started it because it was at six seconds.”

Gausman added that situations like that are among things that may need to be addressed by MLB.

“When it’s raining, we don’t have time to sit on the back of the mound and wipe off our spikes after every pitch where we used to be able to,” Gausman said. “Those are little things that are going to come up as spring training goes on, and the more us players that we can bring these things up to them the better off we can make the new changes as a whole.”

Jayme Hoskins already is known for picking up the beer tab for fans in Philadelphia.

Now the wife of Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins wants to make sure some fans at spring training have free snacks.

Jayme Hoskins became the heroine of Phillies fans when she picked up the beer tab for a bunch of them in her vicinity at Citizens Bank Park during last year’s World Series.

On Friday, before the Phillies’ game against the Detroit Tigers at BayCare Ballpark, she hid 15 envelopes with gift cards good for snacks sold by concessionaires around the ballpark.

She blasted it out on social media and asked the finders to tag her.

One social media commenter suggested Jayme has become more popular than the Phillies players.

WHATEVER WORKS

After losing 100 games last season, the Cincinnati Reds need all the togetherness and morale building they can get.

This spring, Reds players are putting on regular talent shows, with veteran first baseman Joey Votto donning different costumes to act as master of ceremonies.

“Reds’ Got Talent” is a private, team-only affair that has reportedly featured singing, dancing and magic tricks.

A 3-point basketball shooting contest was also planned by the team.

INJURIES

Phillies 19-year-old pitching prospect Andrew Painter is getting tests on his right elbow after reporting some tenderness during his spring training debut Wednesday. He gave up a run and three hits in two innings with a strikeout. He’s been the buzziest prospect in baseball this spring as he tries to crack the NL champions’ opening day rotation . ... Red Sox left-hander James Paxton left his spring training debut on Friday with a right hamstring injury.