Vlad Jr. on callup: 'It's out of my hands'

While Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s callup date to the Majors remains unclear, MLB Pipeline's No. 1 prospect told reporters Friday that he is feeling healthy and is focused on his current work with Triple-A Buffalo instead of looking too far ahead.

“I’m not frustrated,” Guerrero said of his current time in Triple-A. “It’s out of my hands. I just continue to play 100%, and when the time comes to get the call, I’ll welcome it.”

Guerrero has been building his way back from the left oblique injury he suffered late in Spring Training. The third baseman has been on an every-other-day program, and he said he’s now pain-free, including on days after games. Guerrero said he has not had any conversation with the Blue Jays regarding a timeline for his promotion, but he feels he is ready for whenever that callup arrives.

“You can see, it’s obvious that I’m ready,” he said. “I can’t control what happens, I can only control what I can do myself.”

Guerrero said he does not have a preference between debuting at home in Toronto or on the road. He’s simply ready to step onto a big league diamond.

“I’ve been waiting for the call to the Majors my whole life,” he said. “I’ll continue to play 100%, just like in [Class] A ball, Double-A and here in Buffalo.”

Inevitably, the topic of every Blue Jays-related conversation will turn to Guerrero, and manager Charlie Montoyo's pregame discussion with reporters Friday was no exception.

Montoyo understands the fuss surrounding Guerrero, 20, whose father of the same name was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.

“He’s the No. 1 prospect in baseball. I get it,” Montoyo said of the younger Guerrero, who entered Friday batting .344/.432/.594 with two homers and seven RBIs through nine games in the Minors. “… He’s the [subject of] the first question and the last question. And in the middle.”

Since Montoyo won’t be directly responsible for recalling Guerrero, he doesn’t have to get involved in the timing of Guerrero’s recall.

“That’s what I like about it -- I really don’t know, so I’m not really lying,” Montoyo said genially.

• Montoyo sounded upbeat about former A’s infielder Eric Sogard, who hit .500 (6-for-12) in his first three games with the Blue Jays this season. Sogard played for Oakland from 2010-15 before signing with Milwaukee as a free agent in December 2016. He signed with Blue Jays last December.

“He’s a good clubhouse guy,” Montoyo said.

• Visiting the Bay Area represented a homecoming of sorts for Montoyo, the Majors’ fifth-oldest rookie manager (54) ever. Montoyo attended De Anza College in nearby Cupertino, and was expecting a visit from former big league infielder Ed Bressoud, who played for the inaugural San Francisco Giants club in 1958, as well as the Red Sox, Mets and Cardinals.