PITTSBURGH — Time and experience in the big leagues haven’t changed Vladimir Guerrero Jr.‘s mindset of pushing through a baseball season’s inevitable bumps and bruises.
“To be honest with you, for me (the motivation to start each game) is still the same,” the all-star first baseman said through interpreter Hector Lebron on Sunday, when left wrist soreness kept him from the Toronto Blue Jays lineup a second straight day. “I tried, I really tried to play. I just couldn’t.”
With no game Monday before a two-game series opens Tuesday in Philadelphia versus the Phillies, Guerrero is hopeful that three consecutive days of rest and treatment will put the issue to bed.
The issue arose during Friday night’s 4-0 win, on this third-inning swing that produced a flyout to right field.
For the rest of the game, Guerrero felt “a little bit” of soreness “and then when I woke up (Saturday) it felt a little bit tight, so that’s when I realized that I better check this.”
Guerrero experienced soreness in his left wrist last year, as well, sitting out a May 29 contest at the Los Angeles Angels and turning down an invitation to participate in last summer’s Home Run Derby to avoid risk of a flare-up.
What he’s feeling this time around “is a little bit similar,” he said, but “last year, I could hit the next day. This year, it’s not just the wrist, it’s a little bit in the forearm, so that’s why I decided not to play… Just to be careful.”
The 24-year-old is batting .318/.389/.530 with seven homers and 21 RBIs in 33 games this year and has been among the most durable players in the game. In 2020 he appeared in all 60 games, and played in 161 contests in 2021 and 160 last year.
.acf-block-preview .br-snippet {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 200px 1fr;
gap: 20px;
width: 100%;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 16px;
border: 1px solid #CECECE;
background-color: #FFF;
border-radius: 4px;
}
.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info a {
text-decoration: none;
}
.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info .br-snippet-title {
color: #343434;
font-family: ‘roboto’;
font-size: 20px;
font-weight: 600;
line-height: 22px;
margin-bottom: 10px;
top: -3px;
}
.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info .br-snippet-body {
color: #343434;
font-family: ‘urw-din’;
font-size: 16px;
line-height: 20px;
margin-bottom: 12px;
}
.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info .br-snippet-link-title {
display: inline-block;
font-family: ‘urw-din’;
font-size: 16px;
list-style-type: none;
width: auto;
}
.acf-block-preview .br-snippet-info .br-snippet-link-title:not(:last-child):after {
content: ‘ | ‘;
color: #343434;
}
Better Bass
A small mechanical change has Anthony Bass feeling back in form and he’s showed that in consecutive strong outings, including striking out both batters he faced Saturday night.
“Staying back over the rubber a tad longer,” Bass said of the difference. “I was a little quick before that, so my arm was late. I wasn’t getting on top of my slider, spraying my fastball arm-side up, just not executing pitches where I want to. Staying back just a hair longer has allowed me to be in a better position.”
Pitching coach Pete Walker and bullpen coach Jeff Ware identified the fix by comparing his deliveries last season and this one. Bass had allowed runs in of his 11 outings this season before throwing a scoreless inning Thursday in Boston followed by his two outs Saturday.
“I knew I wasn’t myself,” said Bass. “I know my velocity is down just a tick. And normally I can execute my slider with my eyes closed glove-side down and I was backing it up. I knew I felt off. I just didn’t know exactly what it was… Super simple fix, just think about gathering over the rubber a hair longer and it’s just allowed me to get back to the pitcher I am.”
.acf-block-preview .br-related-links-wrapper {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(2, 1fr);
gap: 20px;
}
.acf-block-preview .br-related-links-wrapper a {
pointer-events: none;
cursor: default;
text-decoration: none;
color: black;
}
