The Blue Jays have misplaced one other key participant to harm.
Alejandro Kirk left Friday’s recreation towards the White Sox within the tenth inning after a foul tip glanced off his glove hand. He instantly dropped his glove, grabbed his thumb, and hustled into the clubhouse with trainers. The staff after the sport introduced Kirk had fractured his thumb. No timeline for a return was given. Our harm log suggests batters with thumb fractures sometimes return in about 4 to eight weeks, though Kirk fractured the thumb on his catching hand, which may require an extended restoration.
It’s the most recent important harm for the reigning AL champs, who misplaced Cody Ponce final week whereas fielding a grounder in his first begin within the majors since 2021. Trey Yesavage, José Berríos, and Shane Bieber are on the injured checklist, as effectively, although every is within the “throwing” means of his rehab.
Kirk entered 2026 projected by our Depth Charts to be the most effective participant on the Blue Jays and the second-best catcher within the league, with 4.8 WAR. He posted 4.7 WAR in 2025 with a 116 wRC+ in 506 plate appearances and 22 FRV in 118 video games behind the plate. He was the most effective pitch blocker within the league final yr and the second-best pitch framer, behind solely Patrick Bailey.
Toronto missed Kirk instantly. Tyler Heineman got here on to exchange Kirk behind the plate with the Blue Jays holding a 4-3 lead within the tenth inning and the Manfred Man on third. On the primary pitch after the break, nearer Jeff Hoffman bought Austin Hays to swing by a slider to safe the second out of inning. That introduced up Derek Hill, who bunted the primary pitch he noticed a couple of ft in entrance of the plate. Heineman scampered after the bunt, scooped it up, and threw the ball into proper discipline; the tying run scored on the error and Hill moved as much as second.
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Two pitches later, Tristan Peters delivered a walk-off single to finish the comeback. It was a shrewd little bit of baseball-ing on the a part of the White Sox, difficult Heineman with a tricky play after he sat on the bench for almost three hours. I’m unsure I’ve ever seen a staff explicitly goal a participant off the bench like that. Maybe it was out of desperation (Hill, together with his profession 74 wRC+, may not have been anticipated to choose up successful in any other case), nevertheless it labored.
Heineman was a part of the same snafu the subsequent day. With runners on first and second and two outs, Luisangel Acuña hit a squibber previous the pitcher, simply tender sufficient to forestall a play to first. Miguel Vargas, the runner at second, rounded third laborious and bought in a rundown between third and residential. When the ball got here to Heineman, he charged up the road and fired it into left discipline, permitting two runs to attain.
Regardless of the miscues, Heineman is among the higher backups within the league. Like Kirk, he was a high defensive catcher final yr, with robust framing and blocking numbers. He additionally held his personal with the bat, posting a 120 wRC+ in 174 plate appearances. Heineman, nevertheless, has robust platoon splits, with a profession 114 wRC+ towards lefties and a profession 76 wRC+ towards righties.
Brandon Valenzuela changed Kirk on the lively roster and made his huge league debut Sunday. The 25-year-old Valenzuela is a 40-FV prospect who ranks twenty eighth within the Blue Jays system. As Brendan Gawlowski famous in his 2026 report, Valenzuela “has a backup catcher’s stick,” however he’s a fantastic defender with a powerful arm, with the intangibles a staff would possibly discover endearing as a full-time backup.
Harm Wrap-up
Kirk was removed from the one notable participant to go down with an harm throughout the final week. Let’s run by the harm information now. We’ll have separate write-ups on a number of of the accidents talked about under:
• Juan Soto landed on the injured checklist Monday with a proper calf pressure. He pulled up early whereas working the bases Friday and got here out of the sport. The harm was initially described as minor, however he’ll now be sidelined a minimum of two or three weeks. That is clearly an enormous blow for the Mets. Soto’s affect wants no introduction: Our Depth Charts projected him for the fourth-most WAR in 2026, and he’s merely probably the greatest younger gamers ever. Brett Baty figures to get extra time in left discipline with Soto out, although the Mets have quite a lot of utility choices to cowl the nook outfield spots in his absence.
• Mookie Betts was positioned on the injured checklist this weekend after leaving Saturday’s win towards the Nationals within the first inning with a strained proper indirect. Dave Roberts mentioned he believed it occurred on a test swing. The supervisor didn’t give a timeline for when Betts would possibly return, besides that he believes it might be prior to the usual absence of 4 to 6 weeks, with Roberts calling the harm “extra average than important.” Hyeseong Kim was recalled from Triple-A and can cut up time at shortstop with Miguel Rojas whereas Betts is out.
• Astros ace Hunter Brown was positioned on the injured checklist Saturday with a proper shoulder pressure. Supervisor Joe Espada mentioned Brown felt the problem throughout his routine throwing program final week. It’s an early blow to a Houston staff that handled rotation accidents all of final yr. Brown was one of many few pitchers who didn’t require a visit to the IL in 2025, and he helped preserve the Astros afloat deep into the season. There’s no timeline for his return. Spencer Arrighetti will seemingly pitch in his place.
• Cubs right-hander Cade Horton exited his second begin of 2025 with proper forearm discomfort. He was positioned on the IL on Sunday, and is predicted to get imaging Monday; the staff will provide an replace on his timeline thereafter. A former high 100 prospect, Horton completed runner up for Rookie of the 12 months in 2025, when he posted a 2.67 ERA, a 3.58 FIP, and a pair of.2 WAR throughout 118 innings. He opened 2026 because the Cubs’ no. 2 starter. Colin Rea will take his flip within the rotation for now.
• The Cubs may also want to exchange one other beginning pitcher, a minimum of quickly. The staff introduced Monday that Opening Day starter Matthew Boyd will hit the injured checklist with a left biceps pressure. Boyd sounded optimistic that he’d solely want the minimal time on the injured checklist, noting that he would have pitched by it if it weren’t so early within the yr. Javier Assad will fill in for now. Together with Horton and Justin Steele, who had Tommy John surgical procedure final yr, Chicago’s high three beginning pitchers are on the injured checklist.
• Mike Trout is taken into account day after day after getting hit on the hand Sunday and exiting the sport early. X-rays revealed his hand just isn’t damaged. Trout mentioned after the sport that the swelling in his hand initially scared him, however he was relieved to seek out out it’s only a bruise. He expressed frustration with the Mariners hitting him twice over the weekend.
• Justin Verlander’s age-43 season is off to an unlucky begin. He was positioned on the injured checklist Saturday with a left hip irritation. The Tigers recalled Keider Montero from Triple-A, who began Sunday in Verlander’s place. The three-time Cy Younger winner mentioned the problem began in his first begin of the season final Monday, when he gave up 5 runs over 3 2/3 innings towards the Diamondbacks, however total he didn’t appear too involved. He instructed reporters:
“Sort of [around my] left hamstring, was simply kinda working by it. After which it was actually sore the subsequent day or two, nevertheless it’s been trending in the fitting path. And so it was kinda like a wait-and-see recreation if it may get adequate. To be fairly frank, I feel it most likely is sweet sufficient if we wished to push it, however [manager] A.J. [Hinch] and the entrance workplace — and I agree with them — [say] it’s most likely not the time of yr to do this. And we don’t have an off-day to finagle with, which additionally sort of hurts.”
• After Zach Eflin exited his first begin of 2026 with proper elbow discomfort final week, the Orioles positioned him on the injured checklist. It was his first begin within the majors since he underwent again surgical procedure final August, which marked his third journey to the IL in 2025. The timeline for the most recent harm is unclear, and Eflin is looking for a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister on Tuesday. The Orioles struggled with beginning pitcher depth in 2025 and had been banking on Eflin returning to the shape he displayed after the 2024 commerce deadline. Dean Kremer will seemingly take his place within the rotation, although Kremer can’t be recalled till April 9 as a result of he was optioned on the finish of spring coaching.
• Jordan Lawlar was positioned on the injured checklist after fracturing his wrist on a hit-by-pitch in Thursday’s recreation towards the Braves. He’s anticipated to overlook six to eight weeks. Lawlar, who has ranked as excessive as fifth on our Prime 100 Prospects checklist a number of occasions in recent times, has battled accidents and place log jams all through his skilled profession, delaying his standing as a full-time huge leaguer and prompting the Diamondbacks to maneuver him to the outfield earlier than the beginning of this season to seek out him common taking part in time. The positional change gave the impression to be figuring out; he was off to a scorching begin in his first 20 plate appearances earlier than the harm. Arizona supervisor Torey Lovullo mentioned he assured Lawlar that his “spot can be ready for him” when wholesome. For now, Tim Tawa and Jorge Barrosa will get the majority of the taking part in time in left discipline.
• The Pink Sox positioned Johan Oviedo on the injured checklist Friday with a proper elbow pressure. Supervisor Alex Cora mentioned Oviedo felt fantastic after his first reduction look of the season final week in Houston. A pair days later, nevertheless, Oviedo reported soreness and bought an MRI, revealing the pressure. His fastball velocity was down about 2.5 mph in his first outing. He’ll go to Dr. Meister, who carried out his Tommy John surgical procedure in 2023, to check the MRI from final week to the one from his surgical procedure.