Guerrero Jr. heads to dad's old park as Blue Jays visit Angels

It's been eight years since there was a Vladimir Guerrero in the starting lineup for a major league baseball game at Angel Stadium, but the drought will end Tuesday night when the Los Angeles Angels host the Toronto Blue Jays.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will start at third base for the Blue Jays. He is the 20-year-old son of Vladimir Guerrero, the only player in the baseball Hall of Fame with an Angels logo on his plaque.

The elder Guerrero played his final game in Anaheim on Aug. 21, 2011, as a member of the Baltimore Orioles. He played his final game as an Angel in 2009 before playing his final two seasons with the Rangers (2010) and Orioles (2011).

Guerrero Jr., like his dad, is beginning his major league career playing for a Canadian team. The elder Guerrero spent eight seasons with the Montreal Expos before signing as a free agent with the Angels.

And his Hall of Fame career certainly has helped raised expectations for Guerrero Jr., who made his debut last Friday and hit a ninth-inning double in his fourth at-bat for his first major league hit.

Guerrero Jr. is hitting .250 (3-for-12) in three games, going 1-for-4 in each game. He has a double and two singles, one walk and three strikeouts.

Oakland A's first baseman Kendrys Morales was a teammate of Guerrero's with the Angels and played the last three games against the Blue Jays, getting a good look at Guerrero Jr.

"It's hard to (compare the two), even though I played with his dad," Morales said. "He's a Hall of Famer, but by the time I played with his dad, basically Guerrero was a polished player. Now with his son, we have to give him time, let him play and see what happens. Time will tell. But I saw the kid, I know that he has a lot of talent, and he's definitely going to be a good player. We just have to wait and see what happens."

The excitement surrounding Guerrero Jr. was boosted by the fact the Blue Jays won all three games over the weekend with him in the lineup. He batted in the fifth spot twice, and in the cleanup spot once.

Right-hander Clay Buchholz, who is 0-1 with a 4.60 ERA in three starts, will start on the mound for Toronto. He is 8-5 with a 4.37 ERA in 15 career games (14 starts) against the Angels. Both Mike Trout (8-for-19, two homers) and Albert Pujols (7-for-21, two homers) have hit Buchholz well.

Right-hander Griffin Canning will be called up from Triple-A Salt Lake and make his major league debut on the mound for the Angels. Canning, who turns 23 in two weeks, was 1-0 with a 0.56 ERA in three starts for the Bees, allowing just one earned run in 16 innings.

"I'm sure he'll have some emotions," Angels manager Brad Ausmus said. "He's from the area (Santa Margarita High in Orange County, UCLA). First big league start at home. From all reports and what I've seen, this guy competes. I'm not really too worried about him, once he's thrown that first pitch."

--Field Level Media