Blue Jays star Guerrero Jr. out of lineup after HBP on Sunday

Toronto Blue Jays star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is not in the lineup for Monday’s series opener against the Miami Marlins,

The move comes one day after being he was forced to leave Sunday’s 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates after he was hit by a pitch.

Guerrero is headed to the bench while Lenyn Sosa will play first base and hit ninth in the batting order. The Blue Jays also recalled Nathan Lukes from the injured list, and he will bat second in the order against Marlins righty Janson Junk.

Guerrero was struck on the right elbow by a pitch in the fifth inning on Sunday, and walked directly to the dugout as manager John Schneider and head trainer Jose Ministral came out to check on him.

“He usually doesn’t come out of a game. He’s pretty tough,” Schneider said to reporters after the game. “I followed him and he just said, ‘I can’t feel my hand.’ It was kind of like [hitting] a funny bone, but travelling at 90-plus miles an hour.”

Guerrero has hit .287 over 53 games this season, but has logged just three home runs and is slugging a career-worst .372 in what has been a lacklustre campaign for the five-time All-Star. The 27-year-old has played in at least 156 games in each of the past five seasons, and has missed just 22 games he was eligible to play in since making his MLB debut in April of 2019.

The Blue Jays (25-28) enter a three-game series against the Marlins having won four of their past five games. They sit 10.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays, who lead the AL East and have the best record in the American League.