The Blue Jays might need an unconventional solution when Alejandro Kirk returns

With the Toronto Blue Jays having endured a nightmare of injuries throughout the 2026 season, they finally got some relief this week when Dylan Cease and Max Scherzer came off the injured list to strengthen their pitching staff. On top of that, the Blue Jays will soon be getting the services of their starting catcher back in Alejandro Kirk, which could come as early as this weekend.

Toronto definitely could get a much-needed boost with Kirk returning to the Jays lineup. But at the same time, rookie Brandon Valenzuela has been doing a fantastic job filling in for the 27-year-old catcher while he was on the sidelines.

In particular, Valenzuela has surprised with his bat, registering a .252 average, .799 OPS, along with 17 RBIs while being tied for second on the team in home runs with seven. That is certainly something that the Blue Jays can’t afford to take away from their anemic offensive lineup at this moment.

Consequently, with Tyler Heineman also still in the mix as the backup catcher, it has created a dilemma for the Blue Jays. Would Toronto really consider going ahead with a three-catcher setup on their roster? Or perhaps the Blue Jays should undertake an unconventional solution in the wake of Kirk’s eventual activation off the IL.

What should the Blue Jays do with Valenzuela when Kirk comes off the IL?

That potential solution for the Blue Jays would be to experiment with Valenzuela in positions other than at catcher. The most obvious one would be to insert the 25-year-old rookie into the designated hitter slot. But in doing so, that would mean veteran George Springer would be getting limited at bats going forward, as it is high unlikely that the Blue Jays would want Springer in the field at this stage of his career. Although, manager John Schneider did tell reporters yesterday that they may start giving Springer more games in right field to see if it can get him going.

Therefore, as most other catchers from the past have seen an eventual transition to first base over time, playing at first could be the solution, as suggested by some fans online. After all, Valenzuela has also had prior experience playing there in the minors.

Don’t forget the Blue Jays did exactly that with Carlos Delgado back in the 1990s and look how he turned out. But the only problem is that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is currently manning that position. Added to the fact that he owns a contract that will last until the 2039 season, let’s just say he isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

The Blue Jays might need to test Valenzuela out in other positions in order to keep him up in the majors. But for someone that hasn’t played anywhere other than catcher and first base for his professional baseball career, it could be a hard ask for the 25-year-old. Nevertheless, no one had expected his bat to play so well since arriving in the big leagues, so perhaps Valenzuela can surprise everyone again by excelling in a new position just to maintain his spot in the majors.

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