Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has opted out of the annual home run contest held on the sidelines of the All-Star Game because he prefers not to risk aggravating a left wrist problem that appeared last May.

This was reported by the Sportsnet network on Tuesday, stating that the first base player has experienced a little pain in the past month.

“My wrist is okay right now, but I have to be careful. There are too many swings during this type of competition, he said through an interpreter. I don't want to take the chance of hurting myself again and making it worse so that I couldn't help my club win."

“I think I will have to manage this situation for the rest of my career, he also confessed. I just want to make sure I do all my exercises and everything to stay healthy. I prefer to rest and be ready for the rest of the calendar.

A starter?

If the classic's polling trend holds, Guerrero Jr. will start this one on the field for the American League roster on July 19 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. On Monday, he topped all rivals in his position with more than 1.6 million votes, nearly double his closest pursuer, Ty France, of the Seattle Mariners.

The Montreal native dazzled spectators by sending 91 shots over the fence during the 2019 contest. Last year, he withdrew in order to reduce his workload in anticipation of the second half of the campaign.

This season, he had 18 four-base hits and 45 RBIs, posting a .268 batting average.