Saturday Bantering: Guerrero promotion, Gurriel hot streak

Lourdes Gurriel Jr., is on fire.

With his first career two-home run game last night against the Chicago White Sox, Gurriel now has nine consecutive games in which he’s collected two or more hits — the highest current streak in the majors and tied with Tony Fernandez for the franchise high.

Gurriel his hitting .308 in his 36 games with the Blue Jays, but in 15 July games, Guerrero has a batting average of .410 and OBP of .429. Twenty-five of his 41 hits this season have come in July, and his hot streak shows no signs of slowing.

In his last 16 major league games, Gurriel has only not collected a hit in one, and he’s reached base in 28 of his 67 plate appearances.

The Toronto Blue Jays are promoting Vladimir Guerrero Jr., to the triple-A Buffalo Bisons Tuesday, the team announced, ending his season-long stint with the double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats and bringing him one step closer to the majors, where he hopes to be next season.

Guerrero, attending his father’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cooperstown, New York, will make the trek west to Buffalo and join the Bisons there. Currently on the road in Indianapolis, the Bisons will return home Monday for a five game homestand. Guerrero will join the team on July 31.

The Toronto Sun reported in early July that Guerrero would make his way to Buffalo after being activated off the disabled list, but no firm timetable was given.

Guerrero leaves double-A hitting .402 with a .449 on-base percentage in 61 games. He’s hit 14 home runs, and, should his production continue in triple-A, Guerrero could become the first player in this century to post a .400 batting average in a minor league season.

Blue Jays’ president Mark Shapiro told MLB Network Radio on Tuesday that Guerrero, despite his meteoric rise, would not be promoted past triple-A this season.

Guerrero only recently returned to the Fisher Cats on July 19, when he was activated off the disabled list. He had been injured since June 7 with a patellar tendon strain in his left knee. He played in four rehab games before returning to Manchester.

Other news:

• John Axford is set to make his first major league start today against the White Sox.
• As Bluebird Banter writer Kate Stanwick pointed out, it’s been one year since Troy Tulowitzki last played in a baseball game.
• Marco Estrada is expected to make his Monday start after a blister scare during his rehab appearance.
• Kevin Pillar began hitting yesterday, after no issues with running or throwing.
• Danny Barnes should be returning soon; he pitched in Buffalo yesterday.