The Blue Jays have lost a key contributor for a while, as catcher Alejandro Kirk was placed on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with a left thumb fracture suffered in Friday’s 5-4 loss to the White Sox.
Catcher Brandon Valenzuela -- the team's No. 24 prospect -- was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo in a corresponding move. He will be available for Saturday's game against Chicago, backing up Tyler Heineman.
The injury happened on a foul tip from Austin Hays, which clipped the bottom of Kirk’s glove -- where his left thumb would be -- and jolted his hand downward. It didn’t look out of the ordinary at the moment, but Kirk quickly grabbed his hand and immediately walked off the field with the Blue Jays’ training staff.
Kirk’s bat hadn’t warmed up yet, but he’s coming off a fantastic 2025 season in which he hit .282 with 15 home runs and a .769 OPS, earning his second All-Star appearance. Kirk is one of the best catchers in the Majors on both sides of the ball, so there’s no shot at replacing his value, only minimizing the damage for however long the Blue Jays are without him. He caught 111 games last season.
Valenzuela was acquired at last year’s Trade Deadline from the Padres for Will Wagner, and while it wasn’t the headliner of the Deadline by any means, it was a sharp move by this front office to acquire a young catcher with big league tools. Valenzuela’s defense and big arm are enough to get him to the Majors, and if his bat comes along, he’s a catcher who could stick around long term as Kirk’s backup.
For now, for at least some time, he'll have to hold down the fort while Kirk heals.