Knee injury to cost Vlad Jr. at least 4 weeks
Top prospect has strained patellar tendon in left knee
TORONTO -- Blue Jays top prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be out for at least the next four weeks after he was diagnosed with a strained patellar tendon in his left knee.
Guerrero sustained the injury during a game for Double-A New Hampshire on Wednesday. He later underwent a series of examinations, which revealed the strain. Per the Blue Jays, Guerrero will be "managed conservatively, including initial rest and will be re-evaluated in four weeks post-injury."
The 19-year-old Guerrero is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline, trailing only Atlanta's Ronald Acuna Jr. for the No. 1 overall spot. Guerrero was in the midst of a borderline historic season for the Fisher Cats, with a .407/.457/.667 slash line with 11 homers and 55 RBIs in 53 games.
One of the biggest debates surrounding the Blue Jays this season was when Guerrero would get called up to the big leagues. He seemed to be on the verge of an imminent promotion to Triple-A Buffalo, and this injury will be considered a setback. But if Guerrero recovers as expected, there's no reason to believe he won't eventually head to the Bisons before the end of the year.
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Injury updates
• There has been no change in Josh Donaldson's status since the last time the Blue Jays provided an update on Friday afternoon. Donaldson continues to take batting practice and field ground balls, but he will have to complete a series of baserunning tests before returning to the lineup. Donaldson has been out since May 28 with a sore left calf. He is currently eligible to come off the disabled list, but it's not clear when the 32-year-old will return to the lineup. He remains day to day.
• Right-hander Marcus Stroman will make another start on Wednesday, but the Blue Jays have yet to announce where his outing will take place. Stroman tossed three innings in a simulated game on Friday at the club's Minor League complex in Dunedin, Fla., and is likely approaching the start of an official rehab assignment. The product of Duke has been out since May 11 with a right shoulder injury.
• Left fielder Steve Pearce is set to face live pitching this week for the first time since he was placed on the 10-day DL with a strained oblique. The 12-year veteran has been out since May 2, but there's an outside chance that he will begin a rehab assignment by the end of the week.
• Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis was held out of the lineup for the second consecutive game on Sunday afternoon because of a sore right knee. Toronto manager John Gibbons admitted that Travis' knee was "aching a little bit" during a media availability session on Saturday after a collision in the outfield with Kevin Pillar the night before. The Blue Jays are expected to be extra cautious with Travis because he has been plagued with knee issues throughout his big league career.
• The Blue Jays optioned left-hander Tim Mayza to Triple-A Buffalo following Sunday's 13-3 victory over the Orioles. Mayza tossed two scoreless innings in the win but he becomes the odd man out after Toronto claimed right-hander Preston Guilmet off waivers from the Cardinals on Saturday afternoon. Guilmet has yet to be officially added to the Blue Jays' 25-man roster, but that is expected to happen prior to Monday's game against the Rays.