A Blue Jay has withdrawn from the World Baseball Classic.

According to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, catcher Alejandro Kirk has withdrawn from Team Mexico in the upcoming World Baseball Classic (article here).

With the birth of his child coming any day now, the two parties believe that he won’t have enough time to learn each new pitcher’s stuff, adjust to the new rules, and play for Mexico next month. It is rather unfortunate, but in this situation, the team’s plans likely come first.

The 24-year-old was one of the best catchers in the league last season. He slashed .285/.372/.415 with 14 homers in 541 plate appearances. Moreover, he was one of only six batters with a higher BB% (11.6%) than a K% (10.7%). This led to a 129 wRC+ and a silver slugger award for the position.

It’s not unfair to say that Kirk should have been a nominee for the American Gold Glove at the position as well. He finished fourth in Catcher Defensive Adjustment, sixth in Defensive Runs Saved, and was tied for fourth in Catcher Framing Runs. He also only allowed 11 wild pitches and was statistically one of the best blocking catchers in the league. I went into further detail in this article here.

Hopefully, his baby is born healthy and happy while he sets new career highs for the Blue Jays in 2023!

If you’re interested in the World Baseball Classic, there are still eight players in the Bue Jays organization who are participating. You can read that article here.