Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the star player for the Toronto Blue Jays, has been cleared from the seven-day injured list and is set to play against the New York Yankees this Saturday. His return follows an incident during a game against the Yankees last week, where he collided with George Lombard Jr., a rookie shortstop for New York, during a play at third base in the sixth inning.
The collision occurred when Guerrero slid into third base and was struck on the head by Lombard’s knee and thigh, causing his helmet to come off. Despite the injury, Guerrero managed to score a run before leaving the game. After passing his final concussion tests, Guerrero rejoined the team on Friday and participated in batting practice after playing a minor league rehabilitation game for single-A Dunedin, where he hit a double.
For Saturday’s game, Guerrero was placed second in the batting lineup following the Jays’ loss to the Yankees in the series opener on Friday. In a corresponding roster move, Davis Schneider, an infielder/outfielder, was sent down to triple-A Buffalo. Guerrero currently holds a batting average of .263 with seven home runs and 46 RBIs. Prior to the injury, he had been hitting .310 in his last seven games.