The Toronto Blue Jays may be close to getting their All-Star catcher, Alejandro Kirk, back. Kirk has been missing from the Blue Jays’ lineup since April 3, when he fractured his left thumb off a foul tip against the Chicago White Sox.

According to the most recent injury updates from the Blue Jays, Kirk has been catching bullpens and live BPs. He’s further behind with the bat, but could start rehab assignments soon.

There’s no doubt that getting Kirk back will be a huge boost for the Blue Jays. In 2025, he had the second-highest fWAR on the team (4.7), slotting behind George Springer (5.2). Among all catchers in 2025, Kirk had the second-highest fWAR and the second-highest Fielding Run Value (FRV) (22).

Kirk’s return does present a dilemma for the Blue Jays, however. In his absence, Tyler Heineman has shared catching duties with rookie Brandon Valenzuela. At first, Valenzuela was meant to be a temporary addition to the Blue Jays’ lineup until Kirk returned. However, his performance, coupled with Heineman’s struggles, may have muddied the waters about who to keep when Kirk is healthy.

Offensively, Valenzuela has the upper hand. He’s slashing .239/.330/.398 compared to Heineman’s .152/.188/.197. He has 10 RBIs to Heineman’s 4 and 19 hits, while Heineman has only 10. Valenzuela has also hit four home runs. Meanwhile, Heineman hit his first home run of the season in Saturday’s 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. That was Heineman’s first hit since May 1 against the Minnesota Twins.

Valenzuela does have a higher strikeout rate than Heineman (24.7% vs. 20.5%), but he also has a significantly higher walk rate (12.4% vs. 1.4%). Valenzuela sees more pitches per plate appearance (4.26 vs. 3.37). This is an area the Blue Jays have struggled; they have the second-lowest pitches per plate appearance in MLB (3.77).

The gap between the two of them defensively is smaller, though still favouring Valenzuela. Valenzuela is tied with Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles for the league lead in FRV among catchers (6). Heineman (5) is just behind him in third.

Both catchers are very effective framers. Valenzuela is ranked in the 98th percentile for framing, while Heineman is in the 91st. Valenzuela is ranked better in pop time compared to Heineman (83rd percentile vs. 62nd).

The only area where Heineman holds an advantage is blocking. He’s in the 69th percentile for blocking, while Valenzuela is in the 25th.

The stats favour Valenzuela, and it seems that the Blue Jays have been leaning on him more than Heineman during Kirk’s absence. Valenzuela has played 33 games this season compared to Heineman’s 28. Part of that may be due to Heineman dealing with back spasms in mid-April, though there hasn’t been an update on that in a while.

So if Valenzuela is playing better, why is this decision complicated?

Valenzuela has options, meaning that the Blue Jays can send him down to Triple-A Buffalo Bisons without consequence. Heineman, on the other hand, does not have options. If the Blue Jays decide to send him down, he would have to clear waivers and could elect free agency. That would leave the Blue Jays vulnerable to losing Heineman entirely.

With over four months left in the regular season, that’s a long time to go without a reliable third-string catcher, potentially. The Blue Jays did trade for Willie MacIver at the end of April. MacIver played 33 MLB games with the Athletics in 2025, during which he slashed .186/.252/.324 with three home runs. So far in Triple-A this year, MacIver is slashing .221/.326/.327 with two home runs.

Offensively, MacIver’s minor league stats are pretty on par with Valenzuela’s in 2025. Defensively, however, he would be a step down from both Heineman and Valenzuela. During his time in MLB, MacIver had -3 Defensive Runs Saved and -2 FRV. So while he could be an option should the Blue Jays move on from Heineman, he would most likely be a step back.

That only matters if the Blue Jays end up needing a third catcher again. If Kirk stays healthy, it won’t matter. But with how this season has gone for the Blue Jays, relying on players staying healthy seems risky.

The Blue Jays don’t have to make a decision just yet, as Kirk is still working his way back. If there’s a hint as to how the Blue Jays may be approaching this decision, it could be in how they’ve handled Yohendrick Piñango.

Piñango was originally called up from the Bisons when Nathan Lukes went on the IL with a hamstring strain. Piñango impressed over his first 10 games, slashing .423/.444/.462. Nevertheless, he was optioned back to Buffalo when Addison Barger returned from an ankle injury.

The decision to option Piñango was met with skepticism, given his strong play contrasted with struggles from Davis Schneider and Lenyn Sosa. However, Piñango is another in a long list of left-handed batters in the Blue Jays outfield (Jesús Sánchez, Daulton Varsho, Barger, Lukes, Piñango). On top of that, Schneider and Sosa can provide infield depth, an area the Blue Jays where the Blue Jays are lacking.

Another argument for sending Piñango down originally is that he would benefit more from regular playing time at the minor league level compared to sporadic playing time in MLB. This argument could also be made for Valenzuela.

Piñango wouldn’t stay in Triple-A for long. Barger was added back to the IL after one game due to right elbow inflammation. When he returned to MLB, Piñango continued to perform at a high level, while Schneider and Sosa struggled. By the time Lukes was activated on Monday afternoon, the Blue Jays had changed their mind on what to do with Piñango. Instead, it was Schneider who was sent down to Triple-A.

The decision to keep Piñango instead of Schneider shows that the Blue Jays are willing to ride the hot hand, even if it’s not the most logical decision from a roster construction standpoint. Looking at the catchers, that would mean keeping Valenzuela over Heineman. Though it should be noted that the Blue Jays chose to send down Schneider rather than DFA Sosa.

At the moment, the best decision for the Blue Jays is to keep Valenzuela over Heineman when Kirk returns. With four months left in the regular season, however, the Blue Jays will have to decide if it’s worth the risk of losing a very good backup catcher in Heineman.

Off The Roster is Toronto sports. Hosted by Cabbie Richards, Lindsay Dunn, and Dan Riccio, this is the go-to morning conversation for everything happening in the 6ix – Hockey, Baseball, Basketball and everything in between. From breakout performances and questionable trades to throwback jerseys, viral moments, and the stories fans are actually talking about—it’s smart, sharp, and never scripted. Live weekday mornings on the Nation Network YouTube channel and available wherever you stream podcasts, the show delivers real opinions, real chemistry, and real Toronto energy. Missed an episode? Catch up anytime. Off The Roster—The new sound of the 6ix.