Alejandro

Kirk

It’s not a worst-case scenario after Kirk underwent a procedure to address a fracture in his left thumb that involved inserting a screw, according to Blue Jays manager John Schneider. The 27-year-old backstop will be on the shelf until at least mid-May. There should be an exact timetable once he’s cleared to resume baseball activities and head out on a rehab assignment. It’ll be Tyler Heineman and Brandon Valenzuela handling the catching duties in his absence.

Schneider added that Kirk will undergo a procedure to address a fracture in his left thumb, but isn’t dealing with any ligament damage. There should be a definitive return timeline following the surgery later this week. However, fantasy managers should anticipate a multi-week absence. It’s an encouraging update after the 27-year-old backstop hit the injured list over the weekend after taking a foul tip off his hand during last Friday’s extra-inning game against the White Sox. It’ll be Tyler Heineman handling the catching duties in his absence unless Toronto brings in some additional veteran depth.

Kirk underwent imaging that revealed a dislocation in his thumb, along with a fracture. He’ll meet with a specialist early next week to determine whether surgery is needed. There should be a definitive return timetable following that evaluation. He suffered the injury when he took a foul tip off his hand in the 10th inning of Friday’s extra-inning marathon against the White Sox. It’s a significant loss for the defending American League champions, and fantasy managers as well, since he’s facing a multi-week absence, even if he manages to avoid surgery. The 27-year-old backstop was off to a slow start at the plate, hitting (3-for-20) through five games this season. It’ll be Tyler Heineman handling the catching duties in his absence.

A foul tip deflected off the bottom of Kirk’s mitt and left him in a lot of pain, so much so that he walked off without any attempt to stay in. If there’s a break, he’ll probably miss at least a month. Brandon Valenzuela would likely be called up to share time with Tyler Heineman.

Kirk will sit for the second time in three games. The 27-year-old will take a breather with Tyler Heineman behind the plate for Max Scherzer and hit ninth.

Kirk will get a day of maintenance for the first Sunday — and likely many Sunday’s after — of the 2026 campaign. Tyler Heineman will get the start behind the plate and hit ninth in Kirk’s absence.

Kirk drew a walk and scored a run in the eighth, then came up clutch in a big spot for Toronto in the ninth, taking Michael Kelly deep for a game-tying solo homer. It was the first of the season for the 27-year-old backstop looking to follow up an impressive 2025 season in which he hit 15 homers while posting a .769 OPS.

Jarren Duran, Alek Thomas and Jonathan Ornelas also homered for Mexico. Ornelas’s ended the game in his second plate appearance after replacing Randy Arozarena in the outfield. Mexico joined Team USA and Italy at 2-0 to open Pool B play. Those three teams will begin taking each other on Monday, with Mexico and U.S. set for a prime-time battle.

Okamoto immediately slots into the heart of Toronto’s loaded lineup as the defending American League champions open their spring exhibition schedule. The 29-year-old infielder brings an extensive track record of success in Japan as a power-oriented bat with solid contact skills, a profile that should make his transition to the majors less volatile than most international imports. He’s been going outside the top 275 picks on average in NFBC drafts since early February, making him an intriguing late-round flyer for fantasy managers. Here is the full lineup: Ernie Clement (2B), Andrés Giménez (SS), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B), Alejandro Kirk (C), Addison Barger (RF, Okamoto (3B), Daulton Varsho (DH), Davis Schneider (LF), Nathan Lukes (CF).

That’s a huge get for Mexico. They did get a quality performance from Austin Barnes behind the plate last time around, but Barnes is pretty much out of the league at this point. Mexico has also confirmed that Randy Arozarena and Jarren Duran will participate once again. Duran backed up Alek Thomas in 2023, but he’ll surely be a lineup fixture this time around. One big remaining question is whether Isaac Paredes will be allowed to participate while coming off his hamstring injury.