The Toronto Blue Jays are still waiting on one of their most important pieces to return, and his absence has been felt.
Catcher Alejandro Kirk has been on the injured list since early April after suffering a fractured left thumb. Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling reported on April 7 that the 27-year-old underwent surgery and is expected to miss roughly six weeks. Since then, the Blue Jays have leaned on backup catchers Tyler Heineman and rookie Brandon Valenzuela, but neither has been able to fill the void on both sides of the ball.
It is hard to overstate what Toronto is missing. Kirk is a two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger award winner who has hit .267 with 52 home runs and 263 RBIs across parts of seven seasons. Last year was arguably his best. In 2025, Kirk had a .285 batting average, a .348 on-base percentage, a .421 slugging percentage, with 15 home runs and 76 RBIs.
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As Kirk works his way back from surgery, he has not slowed down off the field.
Ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Kirk was announced as a global ambassador for Banditos Mexican Lager, per the brand’s Instagram account.
“Welcome Alejandro Kirk, the newest member and global ambassador of La Familia Banditos,” the brand posted. “We couldn’t be more proud.”
The partnership is a natural fit on multiple levels. Banditos is a Canadian-made Mexican lager — a combination that mirrors Kirk’s own story. The Tijuana, Mexico native represented his home country at the 2026 World Baseball Classic this spring before the regular season got underway.
Looking back to his club in Canada, Toronto still needs him badly. The Blue Jays host the Rays on Tuesday for game two of a three-game set.
