Blue Jays’ Alejandro Kirk Update Emerges After 33 Missed Games

Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Blue Jays’ Alejandro Kirk Update Emerges After 33 Missed Games

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ayomide Adeduyite | Last updated May 11, 2026 5:03 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays are in a difficult spot right now. Sitting at 18-22 and third in the AL East, they trail the Tampa Bay Rays by 8.5 games. The Blue Jays have faltered partly due to an offense that has been operating shorthanded for most of the season. And among the many reasons for Toronto’s offensive struggles, none has been more impactful than the absence of Alejandro Kirk.

In just the seventh game of the season, Kirk caught a foul tip off the edge of his glove hand during the 10th inning of a loss to the Chicago White Sox, immediately dropping his glove and walking off the field with trainers.

The Blue Jays confirmed the next day that Kirk had fractured and dislocated his left thumb, with surgery required to repair the damage. He underwent surgery to have a screw inserted into the fractured thumb shortly after, with an initial six-week recovery timeline placing his return somewhere around mid-May.

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk (30).Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports

Kirk has since begun a throwing program at the Blue Jays’ complex in Florida, with manager John Schneider confirming that he is right on schedule in his recovery process. On Friday, MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson reported that Kirk has begun taking dry swings as he continues to build back toward full activity.

By Monday, Blue Jays fans received another positive update, per SportsNet’s Arden Zwelling:

“Alejandro Kirk (thumb) began a hitting progression over the weekend at Blue Jays complex in Dunedin — starts with swinging off a tee and taking flips,” Zwelling reported. “He's been throwing regularly for a while but hasn't caught yet.”

Alejandro Kirk (thumb) began a hitting progression over the weekend at Blue Jays complex in Dunedin — starts with swinging off a tee and taking flips.

He's been throwing regularly for a while but hasn't caught yet.
— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) May 11, 2026

The latest milestone is a small but encouraging development for a franchise that has been waiting on its most important bat since the season’s first week.

The significance of getting him back cannot be understated. A career .267/.343/.398 hitter with a 108 OPS+ across parts of seven seasons, Kirk earned his second All-Star selection last year and is one of baseball’s elite framers behind the plate.

Rookie Brandon Valenzuela has filled in admirably since his MLB debut in early April, hitting three home runs in high-pressure situations and drawing praise for his throwing accuracy. But Kirk returning at full health raises this roster’s ceiling considerably.

While he continues to make progress, Toronto will return to action Monday and open a three-game series against the first-place Rays at Rogers Centre.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: