Guerrero and – The Toronto Blue Jays lost Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Dylan Cease to injury in their 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, May 24—an especially painful blow given the combined $710 million in contract value tied to both players.
Toronto’s afternoon started like a test run for what the season might demand—and ended with the kind of uncertainty that can unsettle an entire roster.
On Sunday, May 24, the Blue Jays fell 4-1 to the Pittsburgh Pirates and watched two of their most important pieces leave the game injured in the same outing: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and No. 2 starter Dylan Cease. Together, they represent $710 million in contract value for the club.
Guerrero left after being hit by a pitch on the right elbow from Pirates starter Mitch Keller and was out by the fifth inning. The immediate update brought at least some relief: initial X-rays were negative. Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters after the loss that Guerrero could possibly play Monday. describing that the ball struck him in an odd spot that numbed his arm upon impact.
Cease’s departure was less reassuring on the spot. The right-hander exited with a hamstring injury in the top of the fifth inning after allowing two runs to the Pirates. He told Schneider he believes he can make his next start, but he will undergo an MRI exam on his left hamstring.
The stakes for Toronto were obvious even before the medical news filtered in. Cease, who signed a $210 million contract this past winter, had been steady for a rotation that has carried a lot of the season’s weight. He has posted a 3.05 ERA in 11 starts.
Guerrero, meanwhile, is entering the extension era that starts this year. His 14-year, $500 million contract extension begins this season, and he is batting .287 with three home runs.
In a game that ended with the Blue Jays unable to protect their lead, the timing landed with extra force. Guerrero and Cease both went down in the fifth inning of the same match, turning one tough loss into two separate decisions for the team’s immediate future.
Toronto is now 25-28 and sits in third place in the AL East. and Sunday’s injuries add a sharp edge to a season that has already felt disappointing at the start. For now. the only certainty is the one the club cannot afford: it will have to plan around absences that could swing quickly from “maybe” to “not available” depending on what the tests show.
Toronto Blue Jays Vladimir Guerrero Jr. injury Dylan Cease injury Pittsburgh Pirates Mitch Keller MLB season AL East contract value hamstring strain X-rays negative
Oof 2 starters and the season just like… starts falling apart.
So Guerrero got hit and it numbed his arm but the X-rays were negative?? Still doesn’t sound great. And Cease hamstring in the same game is just brutal timing.
Wait I thought Dylan Cease is the one from the Pirates?? Like teams confuse me now. If it’s hamstring then MRI soon, cool, but 4-1 feels like more than just injuries… idk.
That $710 million number is crazy like they’ll be fine because they’re rich players right? But hamstring scares me more than elbow stuff. Also the article says could play Monday… could also be out like instantly depending on tests so how is that helpful??