Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sat out Saturday's game against the Yankees at Rogers Centre after his lower back tightened during Friday's contest.
Manager John Schneider explained the decision after consulting with the player.
“Back was a little tight yesterday, and he’s been kind of grinding a little bit, so just wanted to give him a blow,” Schneider said.
Guerrero finished 1-for-5 with an RBI double in the Blue Jays' 8-5 win on Friday. The club views the absence as a planned rest day rather than an injury concern.
Schneider noted that he regularly monitors Guerrero, who has avoided the injured list across eight Major League seasons and played at least 156 games in each of the past five years. Toronto expects Guerrero to return to the lineup for Sunday's series finale.
