Blue Jays place Alejandro Kirk on IL with left thumb fracture, recall Valenzuela

4 days ago 1

The Toronto Blue Jays will have to navigate the absence of their all-star catcher.

Toronto announced Saturday that Alejandro Kirk has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a left thumb fracture and that rookie backstop Branon Valenzuela has been recalled from triple-A Buffalo.

Kirk exited Friday’s loss to the Chicago White Sox in the 10th inning when a foul tip clipped his catching hand behind the plate. The 27-year-old immediately looked to the dugout and told manager John Schneider and team training staff that he needed to leave the game.

He was replaced by Tyler Heineman, who made a costly error on a bunt two batters after he entered. Heineman will get the start on Saturday in Chicago.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters that Kirk will have his thumb evaluated by a specialist on Monday, which will help the team determine a timeline and next steps.

Kirk’s thumb was dislocated on the play, as well, with the fracture coming near his knuckle.

$el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") );

$( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-270344" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: true, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6392569085112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/6392569085112-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/video/tough-news-for-us-schneider-gives-update-on-kirks-hand-injury/" }); });

Kirk was slashing .150/.227/.350 with one home run through his first five games of the season.

The seven-year MLB veteran is coming off his second career all-star season in 2025, when he posted a .769 OPS and hit 15 homers in 130 games.

Valenzuela, meanwhile, will join the Blue Jays after being acquired from the San Diego Padres in a swap for Will Wagner at last year’s trade deadline.

The 25-year-old switch-hitter was added to Toronto’s 40-man roster last fall and impressed during big-league spring training, going 7-for-23 with a pair of extra-base hits.

Valenzuela had three hits and one home run in his first four games of the season with the triple-A Bisons.