Blue Jays' Kirk makes Opening Day roster
The Toronto Blue Jays told catcher Alejandro Kirk he's made the Opening Day roster, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.
Right-hander Trent Thornton, left-hander Tim Mayza, and first baseman Rowdy Tellez will also join Toronto's major-league squad, per Davidi.
Kirk will be with the Blue Jays when they face the New York Yankees on April 1 despite having only appeared in nine career regular-season games in the majors. The 22-year-old never played above Single-A before joining Toronto in September 2020. He recorded nine hits in 24 at-bats last season and has a .917 OPS with two homers in 11 games this spring.
Alejandro Kirk has hit everywhere he's been. Minors, alt site, majors, spring. Projections love him & he definitely passes the eye test.
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) March 28, 2021
Have been saying this for a bit now: he belongs in majors. #BlueJays chose to field the best team instead of maximizing organizational depth.
The Blue Jays haven't determined what they'll do with Reese McGuire, who was projected to be Danny Jansen's backup catcher in 2021, manager Charlie Montoyo said Sunday, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.
Another noteworthy addition to Toronto's roster is Mayza. The reliever missed all of 2020 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He owns a career 4.67 ERA and a 10.6 K/9 over three years with the Blue Jays.