The Toronto Blue Jays have made a plethora of roster moves ahead of their series against the New York Yankees.
Toronto is set to host the Yankees for a pivotal three-game series at home. Before the series kicked off, the Blue Jays activated Alejandro Kirk from the injured list and also recalled Davis Schneider as part of a series of roster moves.
“ROSTER MOVES: C Alejandro Kirk reinstated from the 60-day IL and will be active tonight. OF Daulton Varsho (left wrist inflammation) placed on 10-day IL. OF Davis Schneider recalled from Triple-A and will be active tonight. C Tyler Heineman designated for assignment. RHP Yariel Rodríguez cleared waivers and assigned to Triple-A,” the Blue Jays wrote on X.
Heineman being DFA’d isn’t a huge surprise, as the seven-year MLB veteran struggled this season. Brandon Valenzuela, meanwhile, took over as the starting catcher in Kirk’s absence and deserved to remain on the roster.
Heineman first joined the Blue Jays in 2022 and has had three stints with the team. The seven-year MLB veteran is hitting .154 with 1 home run and 6 RBIs this season.
Schneider, meanwhile, can play the outfield and add some infield depth and returns to the big league club after some early-season struggles. He hit .127 with 1 home run and 8 RBIs, while last season, he hit .234 with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs and was a key part of Toronto’s team that made the World Series.
Blue Jays Made Key Catcher Decision
Although Valenzuela was playing better than Heineman, it was unclear if the rookie would remain on the 26-man roster.
Valenzuela was able to be optioned, while Heineman wasn’t, and the catching depth in Toronto’s system is lackluster. So, that was going to play a role in the decision, according to manager John Schneider.
“The honesty of it is that there’s not a whole lot of depth behind Valenzuela,” Schneider said. “There are guys who are on the [40-man] roster, but you look at who’s doing what. Are you going to lose a guy if you move a guy? Valenzuela, either way at this point, if he’s playing a couple of times a week, that’s OK. If he’s playing every day, that’s obviously beneficial.”
Ultimately, with how well Valenzuela is swinging the bat, the Blue Jays opted to keep him up and DFA Heineman. The hope for the Blue Jays is that Heineman will clear waivers and accept an outright assignment to Triple-A to remain in the system.
Kirk a Big Boost to Toronto’s Lineup
The key part of the Blue Jays’ roster moves before the Yankees series was getting Kirk back.
Kirk is one of the best catchers in baseball and announced he’d be back and starting on Friday after playing in a rehab game on Thursday.
“I think I’m going to catch tomorrow,” Kirk said with a smile after going 1-3 as the DH for the triple-A Buffalo Bisons on Thursday. “I don’t know if I’m allowed to say that.”
Kirk is hitting .150 with 1 home run and 2 RBIs in 20 at-bats this season. He’s a two-time All-Star.
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