Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. removed from game after getting hit by pitch

Stan Temming
Updated
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays left Friday night's game against the Houston Astros after his hand was hit by a fastball. (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays left Friday night's game against the Houston Astros after his hand was hit by a fastball. (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was removed from Friday night’s game against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park with what the Toronto Blue Jays are calling a “left hand contusion.”

The club’s official Twitter account also released that X-rays came back negative so it appears that their phenom has fortunately avoided a major injury.

Guerrero Jr. was hit by a 96 MPH fastball from Houston’s Gerrit Cole in the first inning of the contest. He remained in the game and played defence in the bottom of the inning, but didn’t emerge to play third base at the bottom of the second.

Eric Sogard took Guerrero Jr.’s spot defensively for the rest of the contest.

The 20-year-old slugger came into Friday hitting .268 with seven home runs and 19 RBI in 39 games.

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