Report: Vlad Jr. headed to Triple-A following rehab

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is nearing the final rung on the minor-league ladder.

When he finishes rehabbing his strained knee tendon, the Toronto Blue Jays prospect is expected to be assigned to Triple-A Buffalo, sources told Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun, adding that Guerrero Jr. appeared ticketed for a promotion days before injuring himself during a game with Double-A New Hampshire.

Sidelined for the last four-plus weeks, Guerrero Jr. has been rehabbing in Florida and has increased his workload of late. Barring a setback, he should be activated shortly.

Guerrero Jr., who last appeared in a game June 6, solidified himself as baseball's top prospect before getting hurt, hitting .407/.457/.667 with 11 home runs, 18 doubles, and one triple in 53 games with New Hampshire. Last week, the precocious third baseman was named Baseball America's Midseason Minor League Player of the Year.

"They don't build major-league ballparks big enough to hold him," a veteran recently told Baseball America's J.J. Cooper. "I told our guys, 'He's got 90 power.' He has Hall of Fame ability."

Upon his promotion, Guerrero Jr. - nearly four months removed from his 19th birthday - would be the youngest player in the Triple-A International League, where the average age is roughly 26.7 years old.