Blue Jays officially call up prospect Sean Keys

It’s a notable choice of words from Atkins, who stressed that Guerrero was dealing with pain and tightness while playing through back issues this past season. While he may not have been injured to the point that he would need to sit out games, the lingering physical issues clearly had an adverse impact on his performance. He also spoke about the importance of Guerrero getting his confidence back during the offseason and said he has no doubt that will happen. It doesn’t come as much consolation for fantasy managers who made Guerrero an early-round pick this past spring, but all signs point to him being healthy heading into next season. It’ll be impossible to overlook last year’s struggles, but given his raw talent and track record, it’s relatively easy to envision a bounce-back season for Guerrero, particularly from a power standpoint.

In what is likely to be his final game with the Blue Jays — and what could be the final game of his MLB career — Springer returns to the leadoff spot where he spent the majority of his career and enjoyed tremendous success with the Astros and the Jays. With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sitting on Sunday, the entire focus of the game will be on Springer and Max Scherzer in what could be each’s final contest.

The 27-year-old slugger has been a major disappointment for the Blue Jays this season, slashing .260/.332/.356 with a paltry nine home runs and 57 RBI in 609 plate appearances. He’ll be a polarizing option heading into 2027 fantasy drafts. Charles McAdoo will start in his place at first base and bat cleanup for the Jays on Sunday afternoon in Toronto.

The double in the first was a 360-foot liner to right. It would have been a homer in 20 ballparks, including Rogers Centre, but it wasn’t one at Camden Yards.

Guerrero Jr. was out on Monday with a back injury and was originally held out of the lineup on Wednesday before being a late addition. He’s clearly not 100 percent, but the Blue Jays will be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss, so there is incentive for their star to try to play through the discomfort.

There weren’t many bright spots for the Blue Jays as they squandered an early three-run lead to fall three games behind the White Sox for the final AL Wild Card playoff spot. Springer helped Toronto build their early advantage by delivering an RBI single into the left-center field gap against Orioles starter Shane Baz in the first inning.

It’s been an abysmal lost season for Guerrero, who has gone from one of the most fearsome hitters on the planet during last year’s postseason to a non-factor at one of the thinnest position groups in the fantasy landscape. A compelling explanation, most likely due to playing through physical issues, will be unearthed at some point in the next few months, but it doesn’t make things any easier for fantasy managers to stomach. The 27-year-old franchise cornerstone is sitting out after making an early exit from Sunday’s game against the Rangers with lower back tightness. It’ll be rookie Sean Keys taking over at the cold corner.

He’ll probably want to get back out there Monday, but it’s easy to imagine Guerrero getting shut down if the Blue Jays are eliminated from contention sometime this week.

No word yet from the Jays on what may have happened, but Guerrero was replaced when the Jays took the field in the bottom of the fourth inning. He had been 1-for-2 with a single prior to exiting. Look for the team to provide an update on his status as soon as more information becomes available.

The 37-year-old slugger gets a breather after starting every other game this week for the Jays. He’ll likely be used off the bench in a key late game situation if one arises on Sunday afternoon. Sean Keys will serve as the team’s designated hitter in his absence and will bat fifth against Rangers’ right-hander Jacob deGrom.