NEW YORK -- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was a late scratch for Wednesday¡¯s game against the Yankees, as he deals with right knee discomfort, the Blue Jays announced roughly 40 minutes before first pitch.

Guerrero started at DH in Tuesday¡¯s opener, which was curious given Toronto¡¯s off-day on Monday, but it soon became clear that he was not running at 100%. In the ninth inning of the 7-1 win at Yankee Stadium, Guerrero looked awkward running through first base as he reached on an error. He was then removed for a pinch-runner.

Instead of playing in Wednesday night¡¯s 6-1 win, Guerrero went for an MRI on that knee to give the Blue Jays a clearer picture of what he¡¯s dealing with. Manager John Schneider didn¡¯t have those results after the win, but the club is expecting to have them late Wednesday or early Thursday before its series finale in the Bronx.

¡°He¡¯s grinding. His knee is barking a little bit,¡± Schneider said prior to the move being made. ¡°It¡¯s nothing with the patellar [tendon] or anything, he¡¯s just feeling the length of the season.¡±

Guerrero is coming off an excellent homestand in which he homered in three consecutive games, but he went 0-for-5 on Tuesday and took some uncharacteristic swings. Given that his right knee is the leg that loads the power for his swing, this discomfort can¡¯t be helping.

¡°It hasn¡¯t been terribly long that he¡¯s been feeling the effects of the season,¡± Schneider said. ¡°But I don¡¯t think that has anything to do with it.¡±

There was no specific play that aggravated the injury, and Schneider said that there is nothing structurally wrong with Guerrero¡¯s knee, but the timing of this couldn¡¯t be worse, as the Blue Jays navigate through a tight American League Wild Card race. Guerrero has mashed at Yankee Stadium, too, hitting 12 home runs with a .934 OPS over 35 career games.

In Guerrero¡¯s place, Cavan Biggio returned to first base and Spencer Horwitz slid in as the DH. Both found success, including Biggio¡¯s two walks and some strong defensive play, continuing what has been a resurgence for the 28-year-old at the best possible time.

The Blue Jays have Brandon Belt working to return from a back injury, and the veteran recently started to progress through hitting drills with the hope of returning at some point before the end of the regular season.