Blue Jays Shake Up Roster Ahead of Yankees Series Opener: Kirk is Back
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The Toronto Blue Jays have been hovering around the .500 line, but unable to cross it for weeks now, and their schedule isn't getting any easier, so they have to find ways to start winning some games, which starts Friday night with the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre.
Now, the Blue Jays have been riddled with injuries to say the least, but welcomed back Dylan Cease, Max Scherzer, and Tommy Nance this week as the dreaded IL finally starts to shrink, somewhat.
Alejandro Kirk has finally returned to the dugout after missing more than two months with a fractured thumb, but outfielder Daulton Varsho has been placed on the 10-Day IL as he deals with swelling in his wrist, which has kept him out of the starting lineup for consecutive games.
That isn't the only roster shakeup that happened Friday afternoon, as the team designated veteran catcher Tyler Heineman for assignment while recalling outfielder Davis Schneider from Buffalo.
Blue Jays Entrusting These Starters Friday Night
Luckily, Toronto is trotting out Trey Yesavage to throw the first pitch of the game, and he has been nearly perfect against the Yankees. Yesavage has faced them twice in his very young career, once during the '25 ALDS and once this year.
In that time, Yesavage has struck out 19 combined, no earned runs, two hits, and one measly walk in last year's postseason. He has owned the Yankees, making him the perfect man to throw the first pitch Friday night.
This season has been so frustrating for Jays' fans, the team, the managers, the front office, and everybody that is slightly invested in the outcome simply because their big names are not living up to their contracts as the struggles of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer are not lessening.
- DH George Springer
- 2B Ernie Clement
- 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
- C Alejandro Kirk
- 3B Kazuma Okamoto
- RF Nathan Lukes
- CF Myles Straw
- LF Davis Schneider
- SS Andres Gimenez
Luckily, guys like Ernie Clement and Jesus Sanchez, alongside too many rookies to count, are showing up in monumental ways. Had they not, there is no telling where this team would be today.
ROSTER MOVES:
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) June 12, 2026
🔹 C Alejandro Kirk reinstated from the 60-day IL and will be active tonight
🔹 OF Daulton Varsho (left wrist inflammation) placed on 10-day IL
🔹 OF Davis Schneider recalled from Triple-A and will be active tonight
🔹C Tyler Heineman designated for… pic.twitter.com/9wn7kTJMd9
Since the entirety of the American League has been a dumpster fire this season, the Jays are right where they need to be in terms of the playoff race. It is quite the uphill battle to win the division, but a wild card should be theirs.
It isn't win-or-go-home Friday night, but maybe Toronto should be treating every game like there won't be another, and that starts with Yesavage on the mound to kick this series off.
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Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.