The Toronto Blue Jays made a trio of roster moves ahead of their series finale against the Miami Marlins.
Toronto announced that All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk has been moved to the 60-day IL to open up a 40-man roster. The move was necessary as the Blue Jays announced the team selected the contract of right-hander Austin Voth and optioned Tanner Andrews to Triple-A.
Kirk has been out since April 4. So the move to 60-day IL is more of a paper transaction, according to The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon.
“Kirk went on the IL on April 4, so this means June 3 is the earliest he can return. He isn’t expected to get into rehab games until next week anyway, so this is merely a paper move – won’t impact his expected return timeline,” Bannon wrote on X.
Voth, meanwhile, is back with the Blue Jays after being DFA’d earlier this season and ended up re-signing on a minor league deal. Voth appeared in 1 game, going 2.2 innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits as he will provide some bulk innings out of the bullpen.
Andrews, meanwhile, was recalled on Monday for his MLB debut and pitched in back-to-back games, so he was optioned to bring up a fresh arm. In his two appearances, he went 3 scoreless innings and recorded 1 strikeout.
Kirk Closing in on Rehab Assignment
Kirk will be out for two months by the time he’s able to return due to a fractured thumb.
However, the All-Star catcher has been rehabbing, but he’s closing on a rehab assignment, according to Bannon.
“Alejandro Kirk’s goal is to start hitting off a machine this weekend and get into rehab games by the time the Blue Jays get back home (June 5),” Bannon wrote pregame on Wednesday.
Kirk is one of the best defensive catchers in baseball and also an impactful hitter for Toronto. So, getting him back will be a big boost to the Blue Jays lineup.
Kirk is hitting .150 with 1 home run and 2 RBIs this season. Last year, he hit .282 with 15 home runs and 76 RBIs, as he was named an All-Star in 2022 and 2025. He won the Silver Slugger Award in 2022.
Blue Jays Looking for Series Win
Toronto routed the Marlins on Tuesday by a score of 8-1 to even up the series, as the Blue Jays will look for the series win on Wednesday.
The Blue Jays were led by Jesus Sanchez, who hit a grand slam that put the game out of reach.
“That’s the kind of swing we want to see from him,” Schneider said postgame. “Kind of a no-doubter. Up and down we had good at-bats against Sandy, who’s a tough pitcher.”
Toronto was also led by Rule 5 draft pick Spencer Miles, who allowed 1 run in 4.1 innings as the bulk reliever.
“He’s mixing his stuff really well and he’s understanding what we’re asking of him,” Schneider said. “He’s on a good little run right now. And I think he’s trusting his stuff more and more every time he goes out there.”
The Blue Jays enter play with a record of 26-29.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Blue Jays Make Decision on Alejandro Kirk as Part of Trio of Roster Moves appeared first on HEAVY.