Toronto Blue Jays All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk is expected to miss about six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured left thumb, manager John Schneider told reporters Tuesday (via MLB.com).
The 27-year-old Kirk suffered the injury during the Jays’ 5-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Friday when a sharp foul tip off the bat of Austin Hays struck the bottom part of Kirk’s mitt. Soon after, Kirk was removed from the game and replaced in the lineup and behind the plate by Tyler Heineman.
The loss figures to be a significant one for the defending American League champions. Kirk was off to a slow start at the plate, but overall, he’s a career .267/.343/.398 (108 OPS+) hitter across parts of seven MLB seasons. That’s strong production by the standards of catchers, and Kirk is also a plus defender at the position. Last season, he earned his second All-Star selection.
The Jays, 4-3 to start the season despite having played the Athletics, Rockies, and White Sox thus far, have been hit hard by injuries in the early going. They have, in essence, a full rotation on the IL, including offseason addition Cody Ponce, who may miss the entire remainder of the 2026 season. On the position players front, Kirk joins outfielder Anthony Santander on the IL.
What’s next at catcher for the Jays?
Heineman, 34, immediately becomes the regular behind the plate for Toronto. He was highly effective in that role in 2025, as he put up an OPS+ of 114 and a WAR of 1.9 in just 61 games. Across a much larger sample, however, Heineman has a career OPS+ of 83. The Jays could use something more in line with his 2025 outputs, but those were probably driven by the small sample.
To take Kirk’s spot on the active roster, the Jays have called up catcher Brandon Valenzuela, whom MLB.com ranks as the No. 24 prospect in the Jays system. The 25-year-old is, like Kirk, a native of Mexico, and he has an OPS of .712 in 586 games across eight minor league seasons. He’d been on the Triple-A Buffalo roster before his promotion. Valenzuela figures to work as Heineman’s backup while Kirk is out.