The Blue Jays entered the 2022 season with almost impossibly high expectations. At 45-38 near the All-Star Break, Toronto is respectable but certainly not meeting any World Series aspirations.
Watch 2021 MVP runner-up Vladimir Guerrero Jr. operate these days, and it’s business as usual. Not in the sense that he doesn’t care, but more that things tend to have a way of correcting themselves in baseball. During the Blue Jays’ matchup against the Athletics (+1.5) on Wednesday afternoon, we saw the latest example of his chill attitude.
Guerrero Jr. hit a weak grounder at the top of the eighth inning. Playing to the end of the play, he hustled down the first base line. After the A’s finished the easy out, Guerrero Jr. wasted no time striding right off the field.
But not into the dugout. He went straight into the bullpen.
Vlad Guerrero Jr. just grounded out weakly to SS & proceeded to bust his ass down the line & then just kept walking to the bullpen down the line in RF. Chilled for an out, strolled back down to the dugout & it’s business as usual back out at 1B.
— Dallas Braden (@DALLASBRADEN209) July 6, 2022
here's the Vlad Jr. chillin' in the bullpen sequence: https://t.co/Fmtzkq5OFB pic.twitter.com/iLAALaf4NX
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) July 6, 2022
Absolutely hilarious. Who among us hasn’t finished a day’s work and took an immediate load off somewhere that wasn’t home?
Credit to Toronto’s relief pitchers for the sense of humor in letting Guerrero Jr. hang around freely. The Blue Jays would win the game 2-1, further validating “Vlad” being himself.