Toronto Blue Jays' star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was forced to leave the team's Spring Training game on Friday due to knee discomfort. The injury scare immediately put his World Baseball Classic status in jeopardy, and Team Dominican Republic's GM Nelson Cruz recently announced that Guerrero Jr. will miss the tournament, per Hector Gomez.
Team Dominican Republic is one of the favorites to win the 2023 World Baseball Classic. The loss of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. unquestionably hurts their chances, but they still feature a loaded roster. Jose Ramirez, Manny Machado, Sandy Alcantara, and Rafael Devers are just a few of the superstars set to represent the Dominance Republic.
The severity of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s injury is unclear. But it was enough to keep him out of the tournament. The move was likely precautionary, as the last thing Toronto would want is for Guerrero Jr. to further aggravate the ailment during the WBC.
Guerrero Jr. has emerged as one of the best players in baseball over the past couple of years. In 2021, he led the league in OBP, slugging, OPS, OPS+, total bases, runs scored and home runs. It was a fantastic season that saw him finish second in the AL MVP race behind Shohei Ohtani. He took a step back in 2022, but still enjoyed a solid season. Guerrero Jr. finished the year with an .818 OPS and 32 home runs for the Blue Jays.
Nevertheless, he's looking to return to MVP-caliber form in 2023. Perhaps having a normal Spring Training will help Vladimir Guerrero Jr. produce superstar results once again.
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