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The Toronto Blue Jays saw the return of one of their best players ahead of the first of a three-game series against American League East rivals, the New York Yankees on Friday.
The Blue Jays activated 2025 All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk from the 60-day injured list Friday and he made his return to the lineup at his usual spot of catcher the same day.
Kirk had two hits and an RBI through the first three innings of Friday's game.
Beyond Kirk's instant impact in his first major league game in two months, another point of note was the roster move Toronto made corresponding with the '25 All-Star's activation.
Tyler Heineman, the team's backup catcher, was designated for assignment Friday. This means that the two catchers the Blue Jays will carry on the roster will be Kirk and rookie phenom Brandon Valenzuela.
Due to Heineman's experience (34-years-old) and Valenzuela being a rookie, there was a question about whether or not the team would option the latter to Triple-A or opt to move on from the former.
Heineman has been with the Blue Jays organization for parts of four years dating back to the 2022 season.
Valenzuela has been one of Toronto's most effective hitters in place of Kirk. Entering Friday, he slashed .252/.333/.457 with a .790 OPS in 46 games and has hit five doubles and seven home runs with 18 RBIs.
Heineman slashed .154/.205/.205 with a .410 OPS in 33 games and has hit a double and a homer with six RBIs.
Opting for Valenzuela gives the Blue Jays three solid-to-great designated hitter options on a day-to-day basis between him, Kirk and George Springer.
Long-term, Toronto now has one of the dangerous catching duos in the major leagues. Kirk is under contract through the 2030 season and Valenzuela will be under team control for the next several seasons due to being under a rookie deal.
Having the duo on the team will likely help bolster the offense even further as the Blue Jays will look to get back in the thick of the playoff race.
Due in large part to the mountain of injuries Toronto had, including the one to Kirk, the team entered Friday's game against New York three games below .500 (33-36) and in third place in the American League East.
The Blue Jays also entered Friday 1.5 games behind the Texas Rangers for the final AL wild card spot.
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The Blue Jays activated 2025 All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk from the 60-day injured list Friday and he made his return to the lineup at his usual spot of catcher the same day.
Kirk had two hits and an RBI through the first three innings of Friday's game.
Beyond Kirk's instant impact in his first major league game in two months, another point of note was the roster move Toronto made corresponding with the '25 All-Star's activation.
Tyler Heineman, the team's backup catcher, was designated for assignment Friday. This means that the two catchers the Blue Jays will carry on the roster will be Kirk and rookie phenom Brandon Valenzuela.
Due to Heineman's experience (34-years-old) and Valenzuela being a rookie, there was a question about whether or not the team would option the latter to Triple-A or opt to move on from the former.
Heineman has been with the Blue Jays organization for parts of four years dating back to the 2022 season.
Valenzuela has been one of Toronto's most effective hitters in place of Kirk. Entering Friday, he slashed .252/.333/.457 with a .790 OPS in 46 games and has hit five doubles and seven home runs with 18 RBIs.
Heineman slashed .154/.205/.205 with a .410 OPS in 33 games and has hit a double and a homer with six RBIs.
Opting for Valenzuela gives the Blue Jays three solid-to-great designated hitter options on a day-to-day basis between him, Kirk and George Springer.
Long-term, Toronto now has one of the dangerous catching duos in the major leagues. Kirk is under contract through the 2030 season and Valenzuela will be under team control for the next several seasons due to being under a rookie deal.
Having the duo on the team will likely help bolster the offense even further as the Blue Jays will look to get back in the thick of the playoff race.
Due in large part to the mountain of injuries Toronto had, including the one to Kirk, the team entered Friday's game against New York three games below .500 (33-36) and in third place in the American League East.
The Blue Jays also entered Friday 1.5 games behind the Texas Rangers for the final AL wild card spot.
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Remember to join our BLUE JAYS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Blue Jays fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!
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