Alejandro Kirk Injury Update: Health status and recovery time for Toronto Blue Jays star catcher placed on IL

Alejandro Kirk's difficult 2023 season has taken yet another hit as the Toronto Blue Jays catcher has been placed on the 10-day IL with a hand injury. The 2022 All-Star suffered the injury during Sunday night's loss to the Texas Rangers after being hit by a pitch.

"The Blue Jays placed catcher Alejandro Kirk on the 10-day IL Monday due to a left hand laceration. Kirk sustained the injury Sunday when he was hit on the hand by a fastball from Rangers righty Jon Gray." - @TheAthleticMLB

While Alejandro Kirk avoided any sort of fracture, he did suffer a cut and bruise, which the Blue Jays considered serious enough to place him on the 10-day IL. Given the fact that Kirk's tests cleared him of any fracture, he is not expected to be sidelined beyond the minimum.

The time off will not only help Kirk recover but being away from the game for a few games may help him rediscover the elite form that helped him earn an All-Star selection last season.

In 2022, Alejandro Kirk was sensational for the Toronto Blue Jays, taking over the crowded catching role for the team. Through 139 games with Toronto last season, Kirk produced a dazzling .285 batting average with 14 home runs and 63 RBIs. He quickly became a fan favorite among Blue Jays supporters thanks to his diminutive stature and hard-working style of play.

"Alejandro Kirk's bat may be a little bit cold at the moment, but he is once again, one of the best statistical catchers in the league. T 6th in Catcher Framing Runs, 5th highest strike rate, T 3rd in Catcher DRS, 11th in CDA of 3.3. He'll turn it around with the bat too."

However, the storybook breakout 2022 campaign has not carried over into the new season so far, as the All-Star catcher has struggled mightily at the plate. Through 59 games this year, Kirk currently owns a .253 batting average with 3 home runs and 21 RBIs.

A look at Alejandro Kirk's road to the MLB

Born in Tijuana, Mexico, Kirk may not have seemed like a future MLB All-Star given the fact that he stands 5-foot-8, weighs 245 lbs, and was signed as an undrafted, international free agent.

The 24-year-old catcher was discovered at a player showcase in his home country of Mexico, which was held by the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. He was signed by the Blue Jays in 2016, working his way through the minor league system before earning his MLB promotion on September 12, 2020.

From there, Alejandro Kirk proved that he was an elite hitter with surprising speed on the base paths, as well as elite defensive abilities. His emergence during the 2022 season made fellow catcher Gabriel Moreno expendable, with the Blue Jays trading him to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a deal for Daulton Varsho.