Blue Jays Place Kirk on IL with Fractured Thumb

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a fractured left thumb, sidelining the All-Star backstop after an injury during Friday night's game against the Chicago White Sox.

The 27-year-old Kirk exited the Blue Jays' 5-4 loss in the 10th inning at Guaranteed Rate Field when a foul tip off the bat of White Sox designated hitter Austin Hays struck the bottom of his glove, impacting his catching hand. Kirk immediately signaled to the dugout, alerting manager John Schneider and the training staff before leaving the field. He underwent X-rays after the game, which confirmed the fracture. "It's more the thumb," Schneider said. "It sucks. It hurts, especially on a cold day."

Kirk, who had started the season slowly with a .150 batting average over five games, going 3-for-20 with one home run and two RBIs, brings significant experience to the position. Entering his eighth major league season, all with Toronto, he holds a career .267 average with 52 home runs and 265 RBIs in 569 games. Kirk earned American League All-Star selections in 2022 and 2025, his most recent campaign featuring a .282 average, .769 on-base-plus-slugging percentage...