TORONTO — A few weeks ago, when the Toronto Blue Jays first moved Vladimir Guerrero Jr. out of the No. 3 spot in the batting order, he said he had no problem hitting second.

Speaking outside the visiting clubhouse at Comerica Park, the 27-year-old even went a step further.

“If they want me to lead off and the team needs me there, I’ll lead off,” he said.

At the time, it seemed like he might be half kidding. But three weeks later ahead of a matchup with Zack Wheeler and the Philadelphia Phillies Tuesday, Guerrero Jr. was leading off a big-league game for just the second time in his career and the first time since the final game of the 2024 season.

For now the Blue Jays say it’s an evolving situation rather than a permanent shift, but the change is especially intriguing at a time that both Guerrero Jr. and their typical leadoff hitter, George Springer, are mired in extended slumps. More than two months into the season, the Blue Jays figured, ‘why not?’

“Just trying to shake things up for him a little bit and see how it goes,” manager John Schneider explained before Tuesday’s game. “I said, who's going to be a better DH today, you or Schwarber?”

That would be Kyle Schwarber, the Phillies designated hitter who leads MLB with 23 home runs. He’s one of many prototypical power hitters who........

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