Blue Jays’ Guerrero Jr. to return vs. Phillies, Springer scratched

The Toronto Blue Jays first baseman will hit third and slot in at first base on Saturday in opposition to the Philadelphia Phillies (6:05 p.m ET on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+), the team announced.

Guerrero missed the final three video games with hamstring tightness. This has been Guerrero’s private document for video games missed in a season, with Friday being the ninth time he was out of the lineup in 2026.

“The work part has been more than it ever has been over the course of his career, and that’s playing into the physical part where, you know, the hammy’s a little bit tired as he goes,” Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider stated of Guerrero Jr.’s workload and struggles throughout an look on Sportsnet 590’s Blair & Barker.

The Blue Jays are in the course of a stretch of 17 straight video games, and 30 in 31 days. Guerrero additionally sat on July 29 as a result of proper hamstring tightness sustained the earlier evening.

“Yeah, he’s banged up a little bit, but at no point is it to the point where it’s really affecting him,” Schneider stated. “Whenever he’s in there, we feel like he’s good enough to be the best version of him.”

The 27-year-old has posted the worst offensive numbers of his profession thus far in 2026, with simply six residence runs, 44 RBI and a .687 OPS.

Guerrero is within the first season of a 14-year, $500-million contract that runs till he’s 40 years previous.

Meanwhile, it was later introduced that George Springer was a late scratch from Saturday’s recreation after initially being slated to start out at DH. The veteran was dominated out with left shoulder tightness which he is been coping with for a few days, according to Schneider.

Springer, 36, has performed in 86 video games this season, slashing .234/.317/.396 in that span to go together with 12 homers, 36 RBI and eight stolen bases.

Jesus Sanchez was moved into the DH spot for Springer and Myles Straw was inserted into the lineup in left subject.