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All-star catcher Alejandro Kirk will have thumb surgery on Tuesday.Erin Hooley/The Associated Press
The injuries keep piling up for the Blue Jays.
Several hours before the club was to take on the L.A. Dodgers at Rogers Centre on Monday, manager John Schneider announced that all-star catcher Alejandro Kirk will undergo surgery on Tuesday to repair a broken left thumb.
Kirk was struck by a foul tip in a loss on Friday in Chicago against the White Sox.
Schneider said the timeline for Kirk to return is unclear but guessed his recovery could take anywhere from three to six weeks. Kirk was placed on the injured list on Saturday and Toronto will go with backup Tyler Heineman and rookie Brandon Valenzuela in the meantime.
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“We’ll have a better idea how much time he will miss after the surgery,” Schneider said. “Around the league he is an underrated player. His superpower is just how steady he is.”
Kirk hit .282 with 15 home runs and 76 runs batted in during the 2025 regular season. In the postseason he played in 18 games and had five homers and 13 RBIs.
In addition Schneider said right-handed pitcher Cody Ponce, who suffered a sprained anterior cruciate ligament in his first start on March 30 while chasing a ground ball, has an appointment with a doctor in Los Angeles on Tuesday. He has already been placed on the 60-day injured list.
Outfielder Addison Barger, who incurred an injury to both ankles while running out an infield grounder in Chicago on Sunday, was hobbling badly in the clubhouse on Monday afternoon.
“We’ll probably find out [later Monday] what he can and can’t do,” Schneider said. The manager said the organization hasn’t ruled out placing him on the injured list.
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Trey Yesavage, seen here throwing in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, is making progress with his shoulder impingement injury and is continuing rehab work in Florida.Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
As of Monday Toronto had a half-dozen major league pitchers (Ponce, Trey Yesavage, José Berríos, Shane Bieber, Yimi Garcia and Bowden Francis) out injured, one catcher (Kirk) and one outfielder (Anthony Santander).
Yesavage is set to make a start in the Single-A Florida State League on Thursday.
“It is crazy over the course of the season how your depth gets challenged,” Schneider said. “Here and now it looks a little depressing but there is still a lot of baseball ahead.”
