Blue Jays’ Alejandro Kirk gets his flowers from John Schneider after 3-hit return

The Toronto Blue Jays picked up a nice win over the New York Yankees on Friday. Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk had a breakout game. He picked up three hits, and helped Toronto win 8-5.

Kirk had just been activated from the injured list, which made his performance even more special. Blue Jays manager John Schneider loved seeing his catcher have a strong night.

“He’s just steady,” Schneider said of Kirk, per MLB.com. “He’s one of one. It’s great to have him back for a variety of reasons.”

Kirk drove in two runs. He also reached base four times for Toronto. Following the win, the Blue Jays are now 34-36 on the season.

The Blue Jays manager feels that Kirk’s offense really took some pressure off his other hitters.

“There’s always a domino effect,” Schneider said. “It’s really good to have that kind of bat in our lineup, so I think it can rub off.”

The Blue Jays won the American League pennant in 2025, before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Expectations were through the roof at the start of the year for Toronto. The team had picked up starting pitcher Dylan Cease, and looked to make the Fall Classic once again.

Things have instead gone in the wrong direction. Toronto has spent a good portion of the year under .500. Despite that struggle, the team is still within striking distance of a Wild Card spot with plenty of baseball left to go.

Blue Jays fans had plenty to celebrate on Friday, in Kirk’s return. He has been dealing with a thumb fracture. Toronto’s fans gave the catcher a huge ovation when he stepped out of the dugout for the first time, the outlet reported.

The Blue Jays play the Yankees again on Saturday afternoon. Toronto is currently third in the AL East.

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