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<\/p>\nWhat can be done with Brendon Little, the pitcher Blue Jays fans love to hate?<\/p>\n
<\/a>1. Vlad Jr. goes yard<\/p>\n
In his second at-bat in the second game of a three-game series, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. barely missed a home run by turning on a ball that got caught at the wall in left field.<\/p>\n
Vlad Jr. is too good a hitter to go hitless, far too accomplished to continue this early- season stretch in which no extra-base hits were recorded.<\/p>\n
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Your Midday Sun<\/p>\n
Your noon-hour look at what’s happening in Toronto and beyond.<\/p>\n
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It all changed in his third at-bat against former Blue Jays left-hander Anthony Kay.<\/p>\n
After Davis Schneider drew a leadoff walk, Vlad Jr. sent a rocket into the seats in left field, a first-pitch no-doubter that travelled 437 feet.<\/p>\n
Vlad Jr.\u2019s first extra-base hit came on a dinger to officially announce his arrival, as if anyone actually thought he had disappeared.<\/p>\n
A visibly frustrated Vlad Jr. did begin his day on a strikeout as opener Grant Taylor continued to mow down the Jays\u2019 top of the order.<\/p>\n
He needed nine pitches to record three outs on Friday, nine pitches to retire the side Saturday.<\/p>\n
The lone change to Toronto\u2019s order involved Schneider batting in the No. 2 hole for Jesus Sanchez.<\/p>\n
As long as Vlad Jr. is healthy, there will never be a change when it comes to the No. 3 hole.<\/p>\n
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Eight games into the season and the Jays need to have someone step up to fill the No. 2 hole and cleanup spot.<\/p>\n
After recording the dreaded golden sombrero \u2014 baseball slang for striking out four times in a single game \u2014 Kazuma Okamoto was back at cleanup.<\/p>\n
He singled and drew a walk Saturday.<\/p>\n
Inexplicably, Tyler Heineman was thrown out at third base to end the seventh inning following an RBI sac fly from pinch hitter Nathan Lukes.<\/p>\n
Even more inexplicable was Heineman\u2019s throwing error in the eighth inning that cashed in two runs, one game after a throwing error in the 10th inning helped Chicago to its win.<\/p>\n
2. Too Little, too late<\/p>\n
Brendon Little started the sixth inning after Lazaro Estrada gave the Jays four scoreless innings.<\/p>\n
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When the lefty Little took to the mound, the Jays were leading 2-1 courtesy of the Vlad Jr. belt.<\/p>\n
One out is all Little could produce as yet another rough outing played out for the Jays\u2019 hard-luck hurler.<\/p>\n
And to think Little was very reliable and effective for the first half of last season.<\/p>\n
So clean Friday, so overwhelmed Saturday, some kind of decision must be made on Little.<\/p>\n
His fall has been quite stunning.<\/p>\n
When Tommy Nance replaced Little, the Jays were trailing 4-2.<\/p>\n
Little gave up two long balls, including a two-run blast Munetaka Murakami sent into dead centre to give him four on the season, that resulted in three White Sox runs.<\/p>\n
In 3.2 innings, Little has surrendered 10 runs on nine hits.<\/p>\n
![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Guerrero-April-4.jpg\")
Toronto Blue Jays\u2019 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. celebrates his first home run of the season against the White Sox in Chicago. Erin Hooley\/AP3. Catch-22<\/p>\n
Monday looms as a big day for the Blue Jays, a day when the club and catcher Alejandro Kirk will get a far better handle on the extent of his injured thumb.<\/p>\n
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Fingers, for obvious reasons, are being crossed, a prayer or two being said, for a player who is among the most indispensable positional players on the roster.<\/p>\n
An argument can be made that Kirk qualifies as irreplaceable given the drop-off, which is no slight on Heineman or call-up Brandon Valenzuela.<\/p>\n
Not only did Kirk fracture the thumb on his glove hand (left), but he also dislocated it.<\/p>\n
The dislocation has since been put back in place.<\/p>\n
For the record, the fracture, per manager John Schneider, is near the knuckle toward the top of the thumb.<\/p>\n
Injured pitcher Cody Ponce (sprained right knee ACL) is visiting a specialist in Los Angeles, while Kirk is off to Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n
Former Jays backup catcher Reese McGuire was behind the plate for the Pale Hose on\u00a0 Saturday.<\/p>\n
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Whether it\u2019s Heineman, McGuire or Valenzuela, neither can\u2019t hold a candle to Kirk.<\/p>\n
To be even more blunt, sugar-coating Kirk\u2019s injury and the potential ramifications is foolish.<\/p>\n
Up next<\/p>\n
Sunday\u2019s series finale could be the ultimate trap game for the Blue Jays, who need to focus on the task at hand knowing the L.A. Dodgers will be in town Monday to begin a three-game series in what will be billed as a rematch of last fall\u2019s epic World Series; LHP Eric Lauer is scheduled to make the start for the Jays; he pitched well in his season debut, allowing two runs on three hits, while recording nine strikeouts over 5.1 innings against the Athletics.<\/p>\n
fzicarelli@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\nArticle content<\/p>\n
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Chicago White Sox’s Colson Montgomery runs the bases after hitting a home run versus the Blue Jays on Saturday. Erin Hooley\/APArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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