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Alejandro Kirk the latest injured Blue Jay after a foul tip hits his left thumb

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The Athletic
2026/04/03 - 22:19 501 مشاهدة
AL EastBlue JaysOriolesRaysRed SoxYankeesAL CentralGuardiansRoyalsTigersTwinsWhite SoxAL WestAngelsAstrosAthleticsMarinersRangersNL EastBravesMarlinsMetsNationalsPhilliesNL CentralBrewersCardinalsCubsPiratesRedsNL WestDiamondbacksDodgersGiantsPadresRockiesScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsThe Windup NewsletterFantasyMLB ProspectsMLB OddsMLB PicksPower RankingsFans Speak UpTop ProspectsAlejandro Kirk the latest injured Blue Jay after a foul tip hits his left thumbAlejandro Kirk left the game during the 10th inning of the Blue Jays' 5-4 walkoff loss to the White Sox after injuring his left thumb on a foul tip. Nick Cammett / Diamond Images via Getty Images Share full articleCHICAGO — The Toronto Blue Jays, already without four starting pitchers due to injury, may now be without one of the team’s most irreplaceable hitters. Catcher Alejandro Kirk will have X-rays taken on his left thumb after he left Friday’s 5-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox when he was struck by a foul tip. White Sox outfielder Austin Hays fouled off a slider in the 10th inning, sending a foul tip below Kirk’s outstretched glove, where it struck him in the thumb. The catcher immediately took off his glove and called for Toronto’s training staff. When manager John Schneider and a trainer reached home plate, Kirk told them he needed to come out of the game. “When he says that,” Schneider said, “you know let’s get it checked out, especially with a guy like him. With how important he is to us, I’m going to be ultra cautious there.” Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is almost certainly the most irreplaceable hitter in Toronto’s lineup, but Kirk might be second behind him. He ranked second among all catchers with 4.5 FanGraphs WAR last year and was the only qualified backstop in baseball to rank top-five in both weighted runs created plus (wRC+) and fielding run value. Kirk is key to Toronto’s lineup and fielding. “It’s extremely unfortunate,” Friday’s starter Dylan Cease said. “He’s a big part of the team and hopefully he’s OK.” If Kirk is destined for the injured list, catcher Brandon Valenzuela, 25, will likely be the next man up, Schneider said. Acquired at the deadline last year, Valenzuela is seen as a strong defender, and he impressed Toronto’s evaluators with his hitting in spring training. He and Tyler Heineman would have to carry the load behind the plate. They’re capable, but they’re not Kirk. “Brandon makes sense,” Schneider said. “What he did in spring, how we feel comfortable with him, and he’s off to a pretty good start now in (Triple-A) Buffalo, too.” The first few games of Toronto’s season haven’t been entirely smooth, with Friday’s extra-inning defeat coming after a series loss to the Colorado Rockies. But, with the Jays sitting at 4-3, the injuries have been the bigger issue. The Jays have already lost four starting pitchers to the IL this season, with Cody Ponce (ACL) joining Shane Bieber (forearm), José Berríos (elbow) and Trey Yesavage (shoulder). Those early-season pitching injuries have forced the Jays to add more depth already. After Friday’s game, the team announced that they’d signed free-agent starter Patrick Corbin to a one-year, $1 million deal. Corbin, who has made at least 30 starts in each of the last five seasons, hasn’t posted a better-than-average ERA since 2019, but can be another option for Toronto’s starting staff if more injuries arrive. He will report first to Low-A Dunedin. With Valenzuela at catcher, the Jays should be able to survive a Kirk absence, too. But if the injuries continue to compound, Toronto’s list of ailing players could reach a level that no team is prepared for. “Kirk is about as tough as they come,” Schneider said. “So for him to come out, you don’t love it.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Mitch Bannon is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Toronto Blue Jays. Before joining The Athletic, he covered the Blue Jays for SI.com and wrote for MLB.com in a freelance capacity. He is a graduate of McGill University and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Follow Mitch on Twitter @MitchBannon
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