TORONTO — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has spent 940 games hitting in the heart of the Toronto Blue Jays’ order. That’s 87 percent of his career MLB starts hitting second or third. When he’s mashing, there’s little question that’s where he belongs.With the first baseman mired in the worst season of his professional career, though, his lineup spot has been questioned. The Jays have thought about moving him down, manager John Schneider said Wednesday. For now, they’ve decided against it. So, as he’s slated to again for Wednesday’s contest against the Kansas City Royals, Guerrero stays in the heart of the order.“I don’t want to punish him,” Schneider said. “If there were guys that were tearing the cover off the ball, it’s a little bit easier to think about, but we are built as a team for Vlad to be a focal point of the offence.”The real issue isn’t Guerrero’s spot in the order; it’s his lack of production. There would be no talk about batting order if Guerrero’s OPS didn’t start with a six. Yet his OPS remains more than 150 points below his career average, and he’s on pace for his fewest homers in a full season by 14.Guerrero’s swing is out of whack. It has been for most of the season. He flashes a sweet lash every so often, as he did on a roped double in the eighth inning on Tuesday, but they’re fairly rare in 2026. Sliding him down the order, Schneider said, wouldn’t change how he is pitched or fill his plate appearances with any less pressure. Plus, he is most effective hitting third, with an .886 career OPS in the spot.