Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will miss the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic due to right knee discomfort, the team said Saturday.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Guerrero had minor inflammation in the knee, but an MRI didn’t show any structural concerns.
Guerrero suffered the injury while running the bases during the first inning of Friday’s spring training game. After an RBI single, he later went awkwardly into second base. Guerrero played the field in the second inning before walking toward the clubhouse with an athletic trainer. He was replaced defensively to start the third.
Guerrero was scheduled to leave the Blue Jays after Sunday’s game to join the Dominican Republic team. They open the World Baseball Classic against Venezuela on March 11.
The 23-year-old was expected to be part of a stacked lineup for the Dominican Republic. Guerrero played 160 games last season and hit .274 with 32 homers and 97 RBIs for the Blue Jays.
Guerrero is the third Blue Jays player to withdraw from the WBC joining catcher Alejandro Kirk (Mexico) and relief pitcher Jordan Romano (Italy).
The Associated Press contributed to this report.