Blue Jays star first baseman Guerrero Jr. participates in hitting and running drills for the first time since his hamstring injury.

Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. did not start in today’s series opener against the Marlins at LoanDepot Park, but manager John Schneider mentioned he could come off the bench.

Schneider stated that the decision will be finalized following batting practice.

Guerrero has not played since leaving Tuesday’s game in Pittsburgh due to inflammation in his left hamstring.

“Today was the first day he did running and training,” Schneider said. “He did some sprints and worked in the batting cage. He will hit here today to see how he feels and determine if he can play today, tomorrow, or Sunday—whatever the case may be.”

“But he definitely feels better, and I think the activities he did today are a positive sign — everything is moving in the right direction.”

Schneider added, “Watching him in the batting cage, he looked completely normal today.”

Guerrero exited in the fifth inning of Tuesday’s 2-5 loss to the Pirates after injuring himself in the bottom of the third inning while instinctively splitting his legs to catch a throw from Bo Bichette to complete the inning-ending out.

Today, Schneider was asked if he tends to take a cautious approach regarding Guerrero’s return.

“Yes and no,” Schneider said. “We all know how important he is to us, and we don’t want him out of the starting lineup. So, learning from past injuries like this, we absolutely cannot afford to lose him for an extended period.”

“So, caution is definitely there. But at the same time, we’re trying to get him back as soon as possible… and he’s smart about it himself.”