Blue Jays' George Springer Leaves Game After Suffering Apparent Leg Injury
Aug 15, 2021
Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer bats during a spring training exhibition baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater, Fla., Tuesday, March 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer suffered an apparent lower-leg injury in the bottom of the seventh inning at the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night while trying to make a catch on the run.
Springer jumped for a line drive on the warning track off the bat of Ty Franceonly for his leg to land awkwardly on the way down. The ball bounced off the right field wall giving France a triple as Springer immediately grabbed at his leg in pain.
George Springer coming out of the game in Seattle after sustaining an apparent left leg or ankle injury while trying to make a catch in deep CF. Walking off the field with a limp right now.
The 31-year-old started the season on the injured list with a Grade 2 left oblique strain. He was set to return Wednesday, April 7 but suffered right quad tightness as he was running the bases the day before following a batting practice session, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). The tightness happened before an April 6 matchup against the Texas Rangers.
Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters that Springer's oblique was fine.
On Thursday, April 8, Montoyo told reporters that Springer suffered a low-grade right quad strain and would not be available for the Jays' seven-game homestand, which ran from April 8-14.
Springer stayed out an additional two weeks post-homestand and made his 2021 season debut on April 28. He played in four games, including one where he smacked two homers against the Atlanta Braves on May 1.
However, Springer landed back on the injured list with a right quad strain. He was sidelined until June 22.
Since rejoining the lineup full-time in late June, the outfielder has been a force for Toronto, slashing .280/.370/.622 with 12 home runs and 32 RBI in 44 games.
Springer was the Blue Jays' big offseason addition, signing a six-year, $150 million contract. He made three All-Star games during his first seven MLB seasons, all with the Houston Astros. Springer and the Astros won the 2017 World Series, with the outfielder earning the Fall Classic MVP.
Randal Grichuk should take Springer's center field place in the lineup, as he did when the outfielder missed time to begin the season. Corey Dickerson remains an option as well. Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. should patrol the corner outfield spots.
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to Honor Kobe, Gianna Bryant with Custom Cleats
Aug 9, 2021
TORONTO, ON - JULY 31: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays walks to the dugout during their MLB game against the Kansas City Royals at Rogers Centre on July 31, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will honor Kobe and Gianna Bryant on his cleats for Toronto's four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels starting Tuesday.
Vlad Jr wanted to pay tribute to Mamba and Mambacita while the @BlueJays are playing in LA this week. This is one of two custom @jumpman23 pairs that Vlad will wear this series. Portraits are hand painted as always. Stay tuned for the next pair. #mambamondays#customcleatspic.twitter.com/YITclWvYcK
Vlad Jr is paying tribute to Kobe and Gianna this week with two pairs of customized @jumpman23 cleats. This pair features hand painted portraits and a lyric from XO by @beyonce which was one Kobe’s favorite songs. After the series these cleats will be sent to Vanessa Bryant 💐 pic.twitter.com/nBHCDH7sp9
Artist Michael Jordan, who designed the cleats, told TMZ Sports he began working on the project in June so that the customized kicks would be ready in time for the Blue Jays' upcoming trip to L.A.
Once the series is over, Guerrero plans to give the purple and black pair to Vanessa Bryant.
Kobe and Gianna Bryant and seven others died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, in January 2020.
The Ringer's Katie Baker profiled Guerrero in 2019 and wrote he "grew up loving Kobe Bryant." The 2021 All-Star also told Baker he has "always been a Lakers fan."
This will be the Blue Jays' first road trip to Los Angeles since Bryant's death.
Blue Jays' Updated Starting Rotation After Jose Berrios Trade With Twins
Jul 30, 2021
Minnesota Twins pitcher Jose Berrios (17) throws against the Los Angeles Angels during a baseball game, Saturday, July 24, 2021, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
The Toronto Blue Jays made their big move before the trade deadline Friday, acquiring two-time All-Star Jose Berrios from the Minnesota Twins.
Per an announcement by the Blue Jays, Berrios will join the Toronto starting rotation with top prospects Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson going back to Minnesota.
Berrios' addition should provide a huge boost to a unit that has lacked consistency and depth.
Updated Blue Jays Starting Rotation
No. 1: Hyun Jin Ryu
No. 2: Jose Berrios
No. 3: Robbie Ray
No. 4: Steven Matz
No. 5: Ross Stripling
Injured list: Alex Manoah
The acquisition of Berrios came at a steep price. Martin and Woods Richardson are ranked as top 100 prospects by MLB.com. They are now the second- and third-ranked prospects in the Minnesota farm system.
Regardless of what happens with Martin and Woods Richardson, the Blue Jays made the right move for where they are now: 4.5 games behind the Oakland Athletics for the second wild card in the American League.
Even if Toronto doesn't make the postseason this year, Berrios has one more year of arbitration before his free agency. He solves a major problem with the roster for the rest of this season and in 2022.
The Blue Jays rotation ranks 27th in innings (488), 19th in FIP (4.36) and 27th in homers allowed per nine innings (1.6).
Ray (20 GS, 3.04 ERA) and Ryu (20 GS, 3.26 ERA) are the only pitchers who have made at least 10 starts and have an ERA under 4.58.
Berrios, who was named to the AL All-Star team in 2018 and 2019, has a 3.48 ERA, 3.57 FIP, 1.04 WHIP and 126 strikeouts over 121.2 innings in 20 starts this season.
Blue Jays Receive Exemption, Will Resume Games in Toronto July 30
Jul 16, 2021
TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 27: Rogers Centre, home to the MLB Toronto Blue Jays, may be looking at redevelopment. COVID-19. CORONAPD Toronto Star/Rick Madonik (Rick Madonik/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
For the first time since Sept. 29, 2019, the Toronto Blue Jays are going to play baseball games in their home stadium.
The Blue Jays announced on Friday their return to the Rogers Centre will begin on July 30 against the Kansas City Royals.
Per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, the Blue Jays received a national interest exemption from the Canadian government to play in Toronto.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada's government rejected a proposal from Major League Baseball prior to the start of the 2020 season that would have allowed the Blue Jays to play games at their normal home.
Instead, the Blue Jays organization played the entire 60-game campaign at their Triple-A affiliate's ballpark in Buffalo, New York.
Prior to the start of spring training, the Blue Jays announced plans to start the regular season in Dunedin, Florida, "with the hopes of a return to play at Rogers Centre as soon as possible."
After spending the first month in Florida, the Blue Jays moved back to Buffalo on June 1 while they continued to wait for clearance from the Canadian government.
Canada did loosen travel restrictions for citizens last month, with everyone who is fully-vaccinated no longer required to follow a mandatory 14-day quarantine period
The rule does not apply to foreign travelers entering the country, though the special exemption suggests that MLB teams won't be included in that policy.
Canada previously allowed fans to attend NHL games starting with Game 6 of the opening-round playoff series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. Approximately 2,500 fans were permitted to the Bell Center.
The Canadiens attempts' to allow 50 percent capacity (10,500 fans) for the Stanley Cup Final were rejected by Quebec public health officials.
It's unclear how many fans will be allowed to attend games at the Rogers Center. The Blue Jays are scheduled to play 10 consecutive home games from July 30-Aug. 8, including a three-game set against the American League East-leading Boston Red Sox.
Toronto's 45-42 record ranks fourth in the AL East, but its only 4.5 games behind the Oakland Athletics for the second wild card spot.
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Named 2021 MLB All-Star Game MVP
Jul 14, 2021
American League's Vladimir Guerrero Jr., of the Toronto Blue Jays, runs out his solo home run during the third inning of the MLB All-Star baseball game, Tuesday, July 13, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was named the 2021 MLB All-Star Game Most Valuable Player on Tuesday night. The 22-year-old went 1-for-3 with two RBI, including a mammoth 468-foot home run to left field as the American League defeated the National League, 5-2.
In his first All-Star Game, Guerrero did something his father, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., never accomplished in nine ASG appearances: capture MVP honors. He's also the youngest MVP in All-Star Game history and the first player in Blue Jays history to take home the award.
After opting not to participate in the Home Run Derby on Monday night, Guerrero Jr. still found a way to drop a ball into the outfield bleachers as his solo shot in the third inning off Milwaukee Brewers righty Corbin Burnes gave the AL a 2-0 lead. Guerrero's groundout to second in the top of the fifth scored his Toronto teammate Teoscar Hernandez from third to make it 3-0, AL.
"Dad, this is for you," Guerrero said through a translator after accepting the award from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred on the field.
Guerrero helped add to his father's Hall of Fame legacy on Tuesday as the two became the third father-son duo to hit a home run in the All-Star Game. The Guerreros join Bobby and Barry Bonds as well as Ken Griffey and Ken Griffey Jr. in the rare feat.
After four-plus innings at first base, Guerrero was replaced by Matt Olson of the Oakland A's in the bottom of the fifth.
Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani picked up the win. Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks earned the save.
All of it was due, in part, to the efforts of Guerrero, whose first All-Star Game appearance likely won't be his last.
Video: Irv Carter and His Family React to Being Taken by Blue Jays in 2021 MLB Draft
Jul 12, 2021
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA - 2015/05/13: Square Logo of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team on a blue frosted glass. The logo features the head of the 'Blue Jay' bird and the Canadian maple leaf in red.
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Blue Jays are a member of the East division of the American League in Major League Baseball. (Photo by Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Pitching prospect Irv Carter had a major league reaction when he was drafted to become a professional pitcher.
After the Toronto Blue Jays selected him with the No. 152 overall pick of the 2021 MLB draft on Monday, Carter and his family embraced in an emotional celebration:
This reaction to being drafted is everything 🙌 @Irvcarter42
The American League East team might have found some value in the Calvary Christian Academy (FL) product. He checked in as the 118th-best prospect on MLB.com's top prospects list.
MLB.com's scouting report pointed to a fastball that could consistently check in at the mid-90s, as well as "a very good slider" and solid changeup.
Toronto, which is in third place in the AL East at 45-42, also selected pitcher Gunnar Hoglund with the No. 19 overall pick. Perhaps he and Carter can one day anchor the team's rotation if they live up to their potential.
Vladimir Guerrero 'A Proud Dad' After Son Vlad Jr. Leads MLB in 2021 All-Star Voting
Jul 2, 2021
BUFFALO, NY - JULY 01: Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) gets ready to bat during the MLB game against the Seattle Mariners on July 1, 2021 at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, N.Y. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is having a monster season for the Toronto Blue Jays, so it wasn't a surprise he led all MLB players in the All-Star Game voting this season.
But that didn't make his father any less proud:
When you were a little kid you used to go with me to the all star game, today you become the youngest player ever to lead the MLB in all star voting.
— Vladimir Guerrero (@VladGuerrero27) July 2, 2021
The 22-year-old Guerrero was worth every vote. He's firmly in the Triple Crown chase in the American League, currently ranking second in RBI (66), second in home runs (26) and second in batting average (.336).
His father, by the way, is a Hall of Famer after being a nine-time All-Star and the 2004 AL MVP. His son is already on track to have a similar career.
Blue Jays' Alek Manoah Suspended 5 Games for Throwing at Orioles' Maikel Franco
Jun 22, 2021
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Alek Manoah, right, talks with umpires, from left, Jerry Meals, Vic Carapazza and Jansen Visconti after Manoah was ejected in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Saturday, June 19, 2021, in Baltimore. The incident happened as a result of Manoah hitting Orioles' Maikel Franco with a pitch after Manoah gave up back-to-back home runs to Ryan Mountcastle and DJ Stewart. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Major League Baseball suspended Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah five games and fined him after he threw at Maikel Franco during Saturday's contest against the Baltimore Orioles.
Shi Davidi of Sportsnet shared the announcement that also revealed Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo was suspended for one game. Montoyo will serve his suspension during Tuesday's game against the Miami Marlins, but Manoah will appeal his punishment:
MLB suspends Alek Manoah for five games and Charlie Montoyo for one. Manoah is appealing and discipline is being held in abeyance until a hearing occurs, while Montoyo serves tonight. pic.twitter.com/qoMxU7ljqm
As ESPN noted, Manoah hit Franco on the left shoulder immediately after allowing back-to-back home runs to Ryan Mountcastle and DJ Stewart.
The benches and bullpens emptied onto the field, although nobody threw any punches. The umpires still ejected Manoah for the pitch.
"I tried to get that fastball in, and it slipped away," the right-hander said. "I was confused by his reaction. I was questioning, 'What's going on? What's wrong?' Those were my hand gestures as I was walking toward him. I didn't understand the frustration there."
Manoah, 23, has appeared in five games for the Blue Jays this season and has a 4.18 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 27 strikeouts in 23.2 innings. Franco is slashing .212/.254/.377 with nine home runs and 38 RBI this season.
Toronto is 37-37 on the campaign and in fourth place in the American League East. The Orioles are in last place at 23-49.
The division rivals are scheduled to face each other again for a four-game series starting on Thursday.
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Is Chasing MLB's Best Offensive Season in Years
Zachary D. Rymer
Jun 22, 2021
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - JUNE 16: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays runs to first as he hits a single during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Sahlen Field on June 16, 2021 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images)
There's a long way still to go, yet Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is making it easy to dream big about the company he might keep by the end of the 2021 Major League Baseball season.
After two good-not-great seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019 and 2020, the 22-year-old is making a mockery of opposing pitchers by way of a .337 batting average and MLB-leading marks with:
23 HR
59 RBI
169 TB
.440 OBP
1.111 OPS
202 OPS+
3.8 rWAR
Oh, and he's also leading the American League with a .671 slugging percentage.
As he peaked with a 162 OPS+ in 2000 and 7.4 rWAR in 1998, even Guerrero's Hall of Fame father arguably never had a season like the one his son is having.
But then, that's nothing to be ashamed of. Because if he stays on this pace, Vladimir Jr. will end up with numbers few others have reached.
The History within Vlad's Reach
Because he already leads the AL in home runs and runs batted in and is also second to Michael Brantley (.350) in batting average, Guerrero has a shot at baseball's Triple Crown.
If he gets it done, it would mark the 28th Triple Crown season—periodic reminder that the Negro Leagues are now rightfully represented as major leagues—and only the second such winner in the last 54 years. It would be just him and Miguel Cabrera, who achieved the feat amid an MVP season in 2012.
One issue with the Triple Crown, though, is that it measures a hitter's offensive prowess not relative to his historical peers but to that of his contemporaries. Between this and the awkwardly arbitrary nature of judging a hitter strictly by his average, homers and RBI, the Triple Crown is frankly more of an oddity than anything else.
It's more instructive, for example, to point out that Guerrero could become only the 23rd player in modern history to finish with a .330/.440/.650 batting line. And since Juan Soto achieved his .351/.490/.695 line last season in only 47 games, Guerrero would be the first to do so over a full season since Albert Pujols slashed .357/.462/.653 in 2008.
ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 01: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays returns to the dugout after throwing out Albert Pujols #5 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at first base in the game at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 1, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Mind you, baseball's offensive environment has changed a lot since 2008. The average line that year was .264/.333/.416, compared to .239/.313/.400 in 2021. Because that's life when strikeouts are historically prevalent and teams have mastered infield shifts.
As it adjusts for offensive environments and park factors, this is where OPS+ is helpful. And if Guerrero can keep his OPS+ over 200 for the full season, he would be the first to do so since Barry Bonds ended the 2004 campaign with an absurd 263 OPS+.
What would makes things even more interesting, however, is if Guerrero stays on his home run pace.
Because he's hit 23 homers while playing in all 70 of Toronto's games, Guerrero is hitting 0.33 homers per game and therefore on a 162-game pace for 53 home runs. If he gets there, he'd claim just the fifth 50-homer season in the last decade.
He could cross the 50-homer threshold while also maintaining his 200 OPS+. That particular club has only six players in it—and no new members since Bonds and Sammy Sosa joined in 2001.
Where Did This Version of Vlad Come From?
Because Guerrero comes from baseball royalty and had hit .331/.414/.531 in the minors, it was perhaps inevitable that he would become baseball's hottest hitter.
But to get to this point, he basically had to reinvent himself.
Though Guerrero hardly embarrassed himself as he slashed .269/.336/.442 with a 109 OPS+ in his first two seasons, there were things he clearly needed to do better to live up to the hype that accompanied him when he arrived as baseball's No. 1 prospect.
For starters, he simply needed to get in better shape. And while he clearly had a knack for avoiding strikeouts and generating exit velocity, the former didn't come paired with a talent for drawing walks, while too much of the latter went to waste on the ground.
As if on cue, Guerrero got serious and dropped pounds by the dozens between the end of the 2020 season and the start of the 2021 campaign. The slimmer version of him is undoubtedly better, specifically to the extent that his swing is quicker and more explosive.
It's the kind of difference that you can just, you know, see.
Yet this difference can also be quantified, including with regard to how Guerrero has improved an already sturdy performance against fastballs:
2019: .306 AVG, .478 SLG
2020: .272 AVG, .472 SLG
2021: .399 AVG, .746 SLG
The youngster's strike-zone judgment, meanwhile, now resembles that of a more experienced player in how he's attacking good pitches while letting the bad ones go:
Practically speaking, this has allowed Guerrero to bring his walk percentage (14.3) into closer proximity with his strikeout rate (16.7). It's also a factor behind yet another upward shift in his average exit velocity, which is now in the 99th percentile at 94.8 mph.
The catch should be that Guerrero's average launch angle is still in single digits, but that's misleading. He's doing a much better job of launching balls in the sweet spot, and fly balls and line drives account for a career-high 47.8 percent of his batted balls.
It all adds up to a .437 xwOBA that, like many of his results, is the best mark in MLB. Which is to say: Yeah, Guerrero really is that good right now.
Ah, But Can He Avoid the Bellinger Fade?
There is, of course, an obvious problem with projecting Guerrero's numbers after 70 games. He still has 92 games to go, and those won't necessarily look anything like his first 70.
For an appropriate cautionary tale, one only needs to look back to 2019 to find Cody Bellinger.
Like Guerrero has in 2021, the Los Angeles Dodgers star got off to a rip-roaring start with a .355/.452/.701 line and 23 home runs through 70 games. But while he still captured the National League MVP Award, he cooled as he slashed .264/.368/.570 with 24 homers through the end of the season.
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 06: Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger (35) takes off his batting helmet during Game three of the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals on October 6, 2019, at Nationals Park, in Washington D.C. (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Contrary to what one might think, the writing wasn't on the wall that Bellinger was bound to come back down to earth like that. His xwOBA through those first 70 games was a whopping .476. That was 16 points higher than his wOBA at the time, not to mention 39 points north of where Guerrero is now.
But if there are reasons to believe that Guerrero can avoid a similar slide, they start with how he's trending in the opposition direction as Bellinger was then.
Whereas Bellinger's results began declining after a red-hot April, the 1.240 OPS that Guerrero has in June is his best mark of the season. Likewise, his expected results are also in good shape:
As such, perhaps the bigger questions concern whether Guerrero will stay healthy—which is one for the crystal ball—and whether pitchers will continue giving him pitches to hit. On that front, he's already seeing a lesser rate of in-zone pitches in June (46.1 percent) than he did in April and May (47.0 percent).
Guerrero, though, has responded by swinging at 72.3 percent of those offerings after hacking at 71.3 percent in April and May. That's perhaps too slight a difference from which to draw conclusions, but it may indicate greater urgency on his part to try to do damage when opportunity knocks.
In any case, it's hard to find any angles from which Guerrero doesn't look totally locked in. As long as that remains the case, his historic pursuits may indeed reach historic ends.
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Won't Participate in 2021 MLB Home Run Derby
Jun 21, 2021
Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero Jr. watches his solo home run, tying the game at 1-1, in the top of the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, Monday, June 14, 2021, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
The Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will not take part in the 2021 Home Run Derby, the first baseman told sports broadcaster Hazel Mae.
However, he is still planning to participate in the All-Star Game at Denver's Coors Field:
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has decided not participate at this year's Home Run Derby.
He's looking forward to being at the All Star Game in Colorado but told me he'd like to use the time to regroup, refresh mentally for the second half of the season. #BlueJays
Guerrero currently leads MLB in WAR, OBP and OPS, per Baseball Reference. That's in addition to his MLB-high 59 RBI and 23 home runs, which are tied for the league lead with Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels. Ohtani will be taking part in the Derby, which is slated for Monday, July 12.
Guerrero participated in the 2019 Derby when he was a rookie, reaching the final round before losing to the New York Mets' Pete Alonso. He hit 91 home runs through three rounds, including 40 in the semifinals.
The son of Baseball Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero hit a record 29 in the first round before doing so again in the semis. However, then-Los Angeles Dodgers (and current Chicago Cubs) outfielder Joc Pederson matched his 29 homers, forcing the semis to go to swing-offs. Guerrero won there, 40-39.
Guerrero's prodigious home run power has been nothing short of spectacular this year. Per Baseball Savant, he has the second-fastest exit velocity (94.8 mph) and seventh-strongest hard-hit rate (54.7 percent) in the bigs. His home runs are also traveling an average of 412 feet.
Fans won't get to see Guerrero tee it up at the 2021 Derby, but they'll still get to watch him in the All-Star Game, which is set for Tuesday, July 13.
