Shane Bieber, Alejandro Kirk Rehab Starts Hint at Blue Jays Return
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It has been quite a season for the Toronto Blue Jays, who have been a team riddled with injuries. No piece to the team's roster has been safe, and it seems like a new player is added to the dreaded injured list weekly.
However, this week has been rather kind to the Blue Jays as Dylan Cease, Max Scherzer, and Tommy Nance have all rejoined the roster, and after the latest game in Triple-A for the Buffalo Bisons, two more could be back before anybody blinks.
Both Shane Bieber and Alejandro Kirk have been working hard to be members of Toronto's organization, as both have missed most of this season. Kirk might not have started Opening Day on IL, but he might as well have, as he barely made it a week.
Simply put, the Jays have kept their heads (somewhat) above water without a Cy Young Award pitcher and a Silver Slugging catcher who is also one of the best framers in baseball. So, getting the pair back immediately bolsters the team.
That time might finally be here.
Rehab Outings For Both Kirk and Bieber Thursday Night
It has been a long time coming for both the man behind the mound and the one on the hill, because both of their injuries have taken quite some time to get back from. So, where others have only needed one or two rehab starts, Kirk and Bieber have seen a lot of time in the minors this season.
Originally, Kirk was supposed to catch for Bieber's start in Buffalo, but it didn't work out that way. Instead, Kirk played his third day in a row, this time as the designated hitter, where he went 1-for-3 with a double.
So, it is still unclear as to when Kirk will be back, but he sure is close, and the only reason that Bieber won't be activated before him is simply due to the fact that starting pitchers don't make appearances that quickly.
Bieber was able to finish six innings Thursday night, where he struck out four without allowing a run while only walking one runner. It seems likely that he could have gone longer, pitch count-wise, as he only threw 62.
Alejandro Kirk with a stand up double‼️ pic.twitter.com/XzE2aOsCZb
— Buffalo Bisons (@BuffaloBisons) June 11, 2026
As Bieber will be somewhat restricted when he does come back to Toronto, they might want to see one more start with a few more pitches, but after a rough outing from Scherzer on Wednesday night, the team might not be able to afford being without Bieber any longer.
Nothing is official yet, but seeing Kirk return to the dugout this weekend against the New York Yankees in some capacity would not be shocking. If it happens, Bieber won't be far off as this team tries to stay in the playoff race.
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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.