The Toronto Blue Jays got off to a great start, sweeping the Oakland Athletics. Since then, they lost their next series to the Colorado Rockies and dropped their series opener to the Chicago White Sox.
But Friday’s 5-4 extra-inning loss wasn’t bad enough. In the bottom of the 10th, the Jays lost starting catcher Alejandro Kirk. Kirk took a foul ball off the hand, forcing him to leave the game.
The Blue Jays catcher was noticeably in discomfort following the play. He left the game with assistance from the training staff. Up to now, there is no word on his situation. Following the game, manager John Schneider provided a brief update, stating that Kirk was getting X-rays on his hand.
Judging from Schneider’s reaction, he didn’t seem overly concerned. But then again, that could just be the Blue Jays’ manager showing off his poker face. The fact is that the Blue Jays could face a devastating loss if Kirk misses any significant time.
Schneider was adamant that Krik’s injury was “all thumb, no wrist.” If that’s the case, the biggest risk would be a broken thumb. Depending on the severity of the ailment, the Blue Jays could be without a key piece for several weeks.
In short, that’s a loss the Jays just can’t afford. The depth behind Kirk isn’t all that encouraging. While Tyler Heineman is a solid defensive catcher, he doesn’t swing a very big bat. And after Heineman, the catching situation gets really iffy for the Blue Jays.
Blue Jays Likely to Call Up Prospect from Triple-A
Assuming Kirk misses any amount of time, the Blue Jays would be looking to call up Brandon Valenzuela from Triple-A Buffalo. Valenzuela is off to a solid start this season. He’s hit one homer and driven in four runs in four games this season.
As such, the 25-year-old is the next man up for the Jays. Despite the encouraging early-season numbers, a Heineman-Valenzuela platoon is something the Blue Jays might rather not want to deal with. Such an inexperienced tandem would be a tough sell for a team looking to contend against the red-hot New York Yankees.
That’s why the Blue Jays simply cannot afford to lose Kirk for any significant period. If they do, the club might need to find a more experienced solution to support Heineman moving forward.
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Toronto Might Need to Find a More Experienced Catching Option
Unless the organization wants to see what it has in Valenzuela, the club may need to find a more experienced catching option. As it stands, the Blue Jays have just three catchers on their 40-man roster. That situation means there really isn’t anyone behind Valenzuela.
That’s no bueno, and it could force a move. The trade market is an option, and so are waivers. However, the free-agent market could offer a stopgap solution. For instance, an experience catcher like Tom Murphy, formerly playing with the San Francisco Giants, could be a short-term fix for the club.
Of course, the best path forward for the Blue Jays would be for Kirk to be all right. But in the meantime, the possibility of losing Kirk for an extended period has to weigh heavily on the organization’s plans at the moment.
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