Alejandro Kirk could rejoin John Schneider's lineup today, and the Blue Jays suddenly have a real catching decision on their hands.
Kirk has been nearing a return from April thumb surgery, with Schneider calling Friday the “best-case scenario” earlier this week as Toronto prepared for its series against the Yankees.
That puts the timing right where the Blue Jays wanted it. MLB's injury tracker said Kirk was expected back potentially this week after catching and serving as DH during his rehab work.
This is not just about getting a starting catcher back. It is about what Toronto does with the spot Brandon Valenzuela has made a lot more interesting.
Valenzuela has not been hanging on as emergency depth. He has forced himself into the conversation, and MLB.com wrote this week that he already looks ready to be Kirk's tandem mate.
That line matters because the rookie has delivered real moments. His walk-off single against Philadelphia on June 9 gave the Blue Jays a 3-2 win and pushed the catching debate into a different place.
Toronto also knows exactly what it gets from Kirk when healthy. He is the starting catcher for a reason, and the club has been waiting on his bat and his game-calling since he fractured his left thumb in early April and later underwent surgery.
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Kirk's return is good news with a roster edge to it
This is where the story gets sharper. A healthy Kirk helps the lineup right away, but his return also forces Toronto to decide how much room it really wants to keep for Valenzuela.
The rookie has earned more than a quick pat on the back. He debuted on April 5, and his recent stretch has turned him from fill-in catcher into a player the Blue Jays need to think twice about sending away.
That gives Schneider a better problem than the one he had 2 months ago. Back then, losing Kirk meant scrambling. Now it means welcoming back a regular while figuring out how to keep value that showed up in his absence.
Kirk's rehab has at least given Toronto confidence that the bat is close. He homered in his first rehab game with Dunedin, which was the kind of sign the club badly wanted from a catcher returning from a hand injury.
There is still a practical move coming with all of this. The Blue Jays cannot just add Kirk's bat back to the lineup card and ignore the roster math behind the plate. That part is coming fast.
But the headline Toronto will take is simple. Alejandro Kirk looks set to be back, and after weeks of patching around the position, the Blue Jays are finally getting their starting catcher back just as the Yankees arrive.
Should the Blue Jays keep Brandon Valenzuela with the big club when Alejandro Kirk returns?
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