Toronto Blue Jays Announce Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Change During Royals Series
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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – SEPTEMBER 05: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays is congratulated by teammates after scoring a run during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on September 05, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images)
The Toronto Blue Jays secured a 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday to win the series and extend their winning streak to four games. They’ve also won seven of their last 10.
They’ll go for the sweep against Kansas City on Sunday afternoon, and ahead of the matchup, Blue Jays manager John Schneider made some notable changes to his starting lineup.
Blue Jays Announce Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Change
One of those moves involved superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who started the first two games of the series at first base.
On Sunday, he’ll get a break from playing defense, as Schneider has slotted him into the designated hitter spot.
Sean Keys will take over at first base, while Toronto will also give veteran George Springer the day off.
Here’s the full Blue Jays lineup:
Via Underdog MLB: “Blue Jays 9/6 B. Bateman CF N. Lukes RF V. Guerrero Jr. DH J. Sánchez LF K. Okamoto 3B S. Keys 1B J. Smith 2B A. Giménez SS B. Valenzuela C.”
Blue Jays 9/6
B. Bateman CF
N. Lukes RF
V. Guerrero Jr. DH
J. Sánchez LF
K. Okamoto 3B
S. Keys 1B
J. Smith 2B
A. Giménez SS
B. Valenzuela CS. Arrighetti SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) September 6, 2026
Guerrero Jr.’s 2026 Season
Guerrero Jr. has seen a dip in his overall slugging this season, as he’s struggled to hit home runs at his normal rate. However, he still earned his sixth straight All-Star selection.
He’s appeared in 128 games and has recorded 67 runs, 126 hits, eight home runs and 54 RBIs across 482 at-bats. He also owns a .357 slugging percentage and a .689 OPS.
Blue Jays Right Now
With Saturday’s win, Toronto is finally back above .500 at 72-71 and sits tied with the Cleveland Guardians for the third and final American League Wild Card spot.
After playing the Royals on Sunday, the Blue Jays will begin a series Monday on the road against the Athletics.
Cole Sullivan Cole Sullivan is a sports journalist for Heavy.com covering the NFL, NBA, college football, and college basketball. A member of the United States Basketball Writers Association, he has written for FanSided, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, and Newsweek. Sullivan earned an Associate degree from Franklin Pierce University and a Bachelor’s degree from Lynn University, where he studied Communications and Media Studies with a focus on Sports Journalism. More about Cole Sullivan