Toronto Blue Jays face challenges with Bieber’s outing and Guerrero’s injury

By Liam Tremblay — 29 July 2026 — 3 min read

Washington witnessed a challenging night for the Toronto Blue Jays, marked by a significant rain delay, a difficult pitching performance from Shane Bieber, and an injury to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The events unfolded during a game against the Washington Nationals, which saw the Blue Jays fall 8-6.

The game was preceded by a one-hour-seven-minute rain delay on Tuesday night, severe enough for the Washington Nationals to advise fans to seek shelter. Following the delay, Shane Bieber experienced what he described as his worst start as a Blue Jay, walking six of the nine batters he faced in a four-run first inning he could not escape. He attributed his struggles to grip issues caused by sweat amid the humidity, stating, “I let the guys down tonight and so I’m going to wear that one wholeheartedly.” Of his 42 pitches, only 15 were strikes, and only three balls were put in play against him.

This outing set a new career high in walks for Bieber and marked the shortest start of his career. The performance raises questions about his trade value ahead of the August 3 deadline, especially as scouts from five teams were reportedly in attendance. Bieber expressed determination for his next start, slated for August 3 in Houston, which will occur just after the trade deadline.

Adding to the team’s difficulties, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. exited the game after 3½ innings due to right hamstring tightness. Manager John Schneider indicated that Guerrero tweaked his hamstring while beating out an infield single in the third inning. Despite Guerrero’s desire to continue playing, Schneider made the decision to remove him as a precautionary measure. Following the game, Guerrero reportedly “checked out pretty good,” and Schneider did not rule out his inclusion in Wednesday afternoon’s lineup for the series finale. However, with an off-day scheduled for Thursday, resting him until Friday might be a more prudent approach.

The Blue Jays utilized six relievers in the game, following the use of six relievers the previous night. Brendon Little delivered 2.1 perfect innings with four strikeouts, a performance described by Schneider as the best he has seen from Little in a long time. C.J. Van Eyk pitched 3.1 innings, while Mason Fluharty allowed a two-run homer to Luis Garcia Jr. in the fourth inning, extending Washington’s lead to 6-2. Van Eyk later gave up a solo shot to Dylan Crews in the fourth and another run in the fifth.

Despite George Springer’s three-run homer in the eighth inning off Gus Varland, which narrowed the deficit to 8-6, it was not enough to overcome the early damage. Kazuma Okamoto’s 24th homer of the season, a solo shot in the fifth, tied Eric Hinske’s Blue Jays rookie record, providing one of the few highlights for the team. The Nationals, with a record of 55-53, maintained their lead, dropping the Blue Jays to 49-59. The Blue Jays currently remain 5.5 games out of the final wild-card spot in the American League.

In response to the extensive relief pitching used, the Blue Jays made a bullpen move, bringing Chad Dallas back to the roster. C.J. Van Eyk was sent to Buffalo after his 3.1 innings pitched. For Wednesday’s game, Okamoto was slated to play first base, Clement at third, and Davis Schneider at second, a position he had not played for the team in over a month.

Source: sportsnet.ca