![[l-r] Gregory Mitchell Jr., 5, and Gregory Mitchell Sr. take a photo at the All Star Game sign with Gabriella Quinn and Sebastian Mitchell, from Philadelphia, during the MLB All Star Fan Fest at the Philadelphia Convention Center in Philadelphia on July 13, 2026.](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/675930.webp "[l-r] Gregory Mitchell Jr., 5, and Gregory Mitchell Sr. take a photo at the All Star Game sign with Gabriella Quinn and Sebastian Mitchell, from Philadelphia, during the MLB All Star Fan Fest at the Philadelphia Convention Center in Philadelphia on July 13, 2026.")
Ernie Clement earned the most fan votes of any American League player heading into tonight's All-Star Game, a genuine milestone for a Toronto Blue Jays team still fighting for direction.
John Schneider gets the added honor of managing the AL squad, giving Toronto two major storylines heading into the Midsummer Classic.
Tonight's game airs at 8 p.m. Eastern, with FOX carrying the broadcast in the United States and Sportsnet handling it for Canadian fans.
Before the spotlight hits tonight, Toronto quietly made a couple of minor league moves that say plenty about where the farm system stands.
Johan Figuera, a 19-year-old right-hander from Agua Caliente, Venezuela, has been assigned to the DSL Blue Jays Blue team.
Figuera signed with Toronto as an international free agent back in early June, and this assignment marks his official entry point into the organization's development pipeline.
At 6-foot and 194 pounds, he joins a farm system that's leaned heavily into international scouting for years now.
Geovanny Planchart begins his road back from injury
The Blue Jays also sent catcher Geovanny Planchart on a rehab assignment to the FCL Blue Jays, continuing his recovery from a 60-day injured list stint that began April 22nd with Double-A New Hampshire.
Planchart had been productive before the injury, hitting .375 with six hits and six RBIs across six games with the Fisher Cats.
At 24 years old and 6-foot-2, Planchart is known for an aggressive playing style paired with real defensive tools behind the plate, quick reflexes and a strong throwing arm among them.
That profile reads like a everyday catcher a couple of years down the line, assuming the rehab goes smoothly from here.
It's a bit like watching a building's scaffolding go up long before anyone can see the finished structure.
Toronto faces a real stretch after the break, with series against the White Sox, Rays, Red Sox and Nationals all coming up.
Winning more than they lose over that run isn't optional if this front office wants any real case to be buyers instead of sellers by August 3.
Are you excited to watch Ernie Clement and John Schneider represent the Blue Jays in tonight's All-Star Game?
Also read on Blue Jays Insider :
The Blue Jays have themselves a serious Ernie Clement problem coming back from the all-star break
