TORONTO -- The Blue Jays could not have scripted a better return for Alejandro Kirk.
Fresh off the 60-day injured list Friday after recovering from a left thumb fracture, Kirk received celebrity treatment at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays’ catcher drew a roaring ovation when he first emerged from the dugout before the game, then heard it again when his name was announced on the jumbotron.
It was Kirk-mania in Toronto’s 8-5 win over the Yankees, as he reached base four times (three hits) and drove in two runs.
Kirk’s fingerprints were on the game from the first pitch. Behind the plate, Kirk triggered a successful challenge on Trey Yesavage’s fastball, turning a ball into a strike.
Then came his first at-bat. With two outs in the first inning, Kirk jumped on a pitch from Yankees starter Ryan Weathers and drove an RBI double to center field, strolling into second as Rogers Centre came alive again.
“He’s just steady,” manager John Schneider said of Kirk. “He's one of one. It's great to have him back for a variety of reasons.”
For Blue Jays fans, it was a refreshing sight. Kirk was back, and Toronto’s lineup suddenly looked a little more like the star-powered group that won the American League pennant a year ago.
Before the game, Schneider spoke about the ripple effect of adding a hitter like Kirk, whose discipline, contact ability and power can take pressure off the rest of the order.
“There’s always a domino effect,” Schneider said. “It's really good to have that kind of bat in our lineup, so I think it can rub off.”
And just as Schneider predicted, Kirk’s early RBI rallied the hitters around him. One batter after Kirk’s stinging double, Kazuma Okamoto launched a mammoth home run to left field to give Toronto an early three-run edge.
Okamoto’s home run was a thing of beauty, too, sailing a Statcast-projected 423 feet into Rogers Centre’s upper deck, just inside the left-field foul pole. Kirk’s big swing made Okamoto’s home run possible. Just like that, the Blue Jays were in a groove.
An inning later, George Springer followed with a no-doubt, two-run homer to left field, pushing Toronto’s lead to five and adding another jolt to the building. In the fifth, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doubled in a run, setting up an RBI single for Kirk.
“He's a great pitch-caller, great defender, and then you saw what he can do on offense,” Yesavage said of his battery-mate. “He puts us in a really good spot to win.”
Of Toronto’s key players, Kirk will be the most important to watch going forward, because his activation before Friday’s game came with a flurry of corresponding roster moves.
The Blue Jays recalled utility man Davis Schneider, placed outfielder Daulton Varsho on the injured list retroactive to Wednesday with left wrist inflammation, and designated catcher Tyler Heineman for assignment.
The Heineman move was notable because it answered a burning question about Toronto’s roster crunch. With that, the Blue Jays opted to keep rookie standout Brandon Valenzuela, forming one of baseball’s best catcher duos with Kirk.
Schneider said Valenzuela’s red-hot performance gave Toronto no choice but to keep him as the second catcher. The 25-year-old entered Friday with seven home runs, 18 RBIs and a .790 OPS through 46 games. Valenzuela’s whirlwind start prompted him to lean on Kirk for guidance as the year unfolded.
Kirk and Valenzuela, both from Mexico, chatted over text while Kirk was on the injured list. The pair have grown closer since they met last season, and Kirk has since shared some game-calling tips for his compatriot.
Their relationship is part mentorship, part friendship, as Kirk described Valenzuela as someone who is typically quiet until the big moments -- like his walk-off single Tuesday -- when emotion pours out. The tricky part is now finding ways to get both of them in the lineup.
Kirk will need more rest than usual during these first few games, which gives Valenzuela easy opportunities. After that, it’s more complicated. Schneider suggested Springer could return to a corner outfield spot, opening up the designated hitter role for either Valenzuela or Kirk.
However Schneider draws up the batting order, there’s comfort in Kirk’s presence. Early injuries pulled this club apart, but bit by bit, the Blue Jays are starting to look whole again.