Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk, who has been on the IL since April 5, says he is returning to Toronto to catch on Friday night.
The Blue Jays kick off an important three-game weekend series against the rival New York Yankees on Friday at Rogers Centre. The game begins at 7:37 p.m. ET.
When the Blue Jays take the field, it appears they will have a familiar face behind the dish, as Kirk says he will be catching for Toronto in the game.
Alejandro Kirk Announces His Own Return to Blue Jays
Speaking to reporters in Buffalo on Thursday night during a rehab appearance for the Triple-A Bisons, Kirk announced his own return to the big-league club for Friday’s game.
Kirk said that he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to make the announcement himself, but he did so anyway, saying he would be catching on Friday in Toronto.
“Alejandro Kirk – speaking without a translator – tells us he feels great and adds: ‘I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this, but I think I’m going to catch tomorrow.’ Here or in Toronto? ‘In Toronto,'” wrote longtime Blue Jays reporter Mike Wilner on Bluesky.
Kirk went 1-3 with a double at the dish while serving as the Bisons’ DH on Thursday night. He says he’s feeling great, so all that’s left to do now is for the Blue Jays to make it official and activate him from the IL.
But they will have to make a pivotal roster decision to do so.
Blue Jays Have to Make Roster Move
With Kirk ready to play in the big leagues again, the Blue Jays have a tough decision to make regarding their backup catcher role.
Tyler Heineman, Kirk’s backup last season, has had a miserable year at the plate in 2026. The 34-year-old veteran is batting just .154 with a .410 OPS and a 13 OPS+, which indicates he is batting 87% below league average.
Heineman is a valuable member of the Blue Jays’ clubhouse, a solid defender behind the plate, and a calming influence on the team’s pitching staff. But his bat just has not been up to par this year.
The problem is that if the Blue Jays try to send Heineman down, they would have to expose him to waivers, and he would likely be claimed by another team, perhaps even the Yankees. So, that’s the Blue Jays’ dilemma right now.
Meanwhile, rookie star Brandon Valenzuela has been otherworldly for the Blue Jays. The 25-year-old Mexican was called up to the bigs after Kirk got injured in early April, and he has been one of the Blue Jays’ top hitters ever since, hitting 7 homers with a .790 OPS and an 115 OPS+ that is 15% better than league average. He has also drawn rave reviews from the pitching staff for the way he calls the game, and his defense has been great, too.
But he has minor-league options remaining, so the Blue Jays could send him down without the risk of losing him to another team like they would with Heineman.
At the same time, though, Valenzuela has earned his keep on Toronto’s roster, so unfortunately for Heineman, it feels like he will be the odd man out when the Blue Jays activate Kirk.
Alejandro Kirk Says He’s Catching for Blue Jays vs. NYY on Friday