Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Filling in for resting Kirk
Rotowire
Heineman will start at catcher and bat eighth in Monday's game against the Rays.
No. 1 backstop Alejandro Kirk will receive a day off as Toronto opens its three-game series in Tampa, paving the way for Heineman to receive a turn behind the plate. Since returning to the active roster June 3 after a stint on the 7-day injured list due to a concussion, Heineman has slashed .258/.362/.393 with two home runs, 13 RBI and 14 runs in 40 games.
Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Re-entering lineup Wednesday
Rotowire
Heineman (head) will start at catcher and bat eighth in Wednesday's game against the Rockies.
Heineman exited his most recent start Saturday due to a head contusion, but he avoided a concussion and made enough improvement to play the final two innings of Monday's 15-1 win. He'll make his return to the starting lineup Wednesday, but Heineman is expected to see few opportunities moving forward after top backstop Alejandro Kirk was reinstated from the 7-day injured list Sunday.
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Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: On bench in Kirk's return
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Heineman (head) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals.
Heineman started behind the plate in the first two games of the series with Kansas City but exited Saturday's 4-2 win after being diagnosed with a head contusion when he took a foul tip off his mask. Per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca, manager John Schneider said that Heineman hasn't developed any concussion symptoms, but he's still viewed as day-to-day. In any case, Heineman's brief run as Toronto's No. 1 catcher is over, as the Blue Jays activated Alejandro Kirk (concussion) from the 7-day injured list Sunday.
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Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Leaves with bruised head
Rotowire
Heineman was removed from Saturday's game against the Royals with a head contusion, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.
Heineman was hit by a pitch in the third inning and took a foul tip off his catcher's mask shortly afterward in the fourth, which ultimately ended his day behind the plate. The team is currently labeling his injury as a contusion, though the 34-year-old backstop will likely be evaluated for a concussion.
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Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Three hits in Tuesday's nightcap
Rotowire
Heineman went 3-for-3 with a walk in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Orioles.
After going 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter in the matinee, Heineman started the nightcap and kept the line moving from the eighth spot in the batting order. The 34-year-old backstop is handling starting duties for Toronto while Alejandro Kirk (concussion) is sidelined, and at least within this window, Heineman will have fantasy appeal in two-catcher formats -- he's gone 6-for-17 (.353) since the All-Star break, and on the season he is slashing a remarkable .343/.405/.520 over 119 plate appearances.
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Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Resting for matinee game
Rotowire
Heineman is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles.
Heineman will get a breather for Wednesday's matinee after he went 3-for-3 while starting behind the plate in the Blue Jays' 3-2 loss Tuesday night in the second game of a doubleheader. Ali Sanchez will get the nod at catcher Wednesday, but Heineman is expected to see the bulk of the starts while top backstop Alejandro Kirk (concussion) is on the shelf.
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Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Resting for early game
Rotowire
Heineman is out of the lineup for the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader versus the Orioles.
With Alejandro Kirk (concussion) landing on the 7-day injured list over the weekend, Heineman is poised to take over as Toronto's primary catcher in the interim, but the 34-year-old won't be asked to start both ends of Tuesday's twin bill. Ali Sanchez will step in behind the plate for Game 1, but expect Heineman to catch for starting pitcher Eric Lauer in the nightcap.
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Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Taking over as primary catcher
Rotowire
Blue Jays manager John Schneider confirmed after Sunday's 10-4 loss to the Tigers that Heineman will see the majority of the playing time at catcher while Alejandro Kirk (concussion) is on the 7-day injured list, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
After Kirk sustained the concussion Saturday before landing on the shelf a day later, Heineman drew the start Sunday and went 1-for-4 with a double. The journeyman backstop has seen limited starts behind Kirk this season, but he's been productive when called upon, slashing .326/.389/.495 with three home runs and two steals in 106 plate appearances. Until Kirk returns, Heineman could be worthy of a short-term pickup in AL-only leagues and mixed leagues that start two catchers.
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Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Goes yard Saturday
Rotowire
Heineman went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and three RBI in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Giants.
The backup catcher took Ryan Walker deep in the eighth inning for a two-run shot, providing the Blue Jays with some insurance. It was Heineman's third homer of the season and first since June 7, and while the 34-year-old has cooled down significantly in recent weeks, he's still slashing .341/.396/.518 in 85 plate appearances on the season with 16 RBI and 19 runs -- both career highs.
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Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Drawing start for day game
Rotowire
Heineman will start at catcher and bat eighth in Wednesday's game against the White Sox.
With top backstop Alejandro Kirk resting for the matinee contest, Heineman will get the nod behind the plate. Since being activated from the 7-day injured list June 3, Heineman has started 11 games and has gone 7-for-29 (.241 average) with one home run, six RBI and eight runs.
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Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Back from concussion IL
Rotowire
The Blue Jays activated Heineman from the 7-day concussion injured list Tuesday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Heineman missed a little over a week of action with concussion symptoms. He'll serve as Alejandro Kirk's understudy at catcher.
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Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Beginning assignment
Rotowire
Heineman (concussion) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Heineman landed on the 7-day concussion IL on Sunday after taking multiple foul balls off his catcher's mask, but he seems to be nearing the end of his recovery process. The Blue Jays haven't specified how long they plan to keep the 33-year-old backstop in the minors, though he shouldn't require too many tune-up games.
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Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Out with concussion
Rotowire
The Blue Jays placed Heineman on the 7-day injured list Sunday due to a concussion.
Heineman took a couple foul balls off his catcher's mask during Thursday's game against the Padres and reported concussion symptoms Saturday, so he's now in the concussion protocol. Ali Sanchez was added to the big-league roster to serve as Toronto's backup backstop while Heineman is out.
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Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Stays hot offensively
Rotowire
Heineman went 2-for-4 with two runs scored in Thursday's 7-6 win against the Padres.
Heineman continues to swing a hot bat, picking up his sixth multi-hit game Thursday. His slash line is now an impressive .396/.412/.542, albeit in a limited 51 plate appearances on the season. Despite the offensive production, the 33-year-old is firmly entrenched as the backup catcher behind Alejandro Kirk, which likely means he won't see much of an uptick in playing time.
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Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Picking up start in day game
Rotowire
Heineman will start at catcher and bat ninth in Thursday's game against the Padres.
With a .949 OPS to go with two stolen bases over 47 plate appearances on the season, Heineman has made the most of his limited opportunities, but he's still unlikely to see a dramatic surge in playing time in the near future. Alejandro Kirk is locked in as the Blue Jays' clear No. 1 backstop and should require just one or two days off per week, with most of his absences from the lineup coming in day games after night games.
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Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Extends hitting streak Thursday
Rotowire
Heineman went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base in Thursday's 4-3 extra-inning loss to the Red Sox.
Starting at catcher for the resting Alejandro Kirk, Heineman drove in Toronto's first run on a seventh-inning single as he extended his hitting streak to five games. Although Heineman has gone 9-for-18 with one home run, one double, two RBI and one stolen base through five outings this season, he'll likely remain Kirk's backup behind the plate.
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Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Continues hot start Wednesday
Rotowire
Heineman went 2-for-4 in Wednesday's win over the Nationals, and he's batting .429 (3-for-7) with a solo home run to begin the season.
The switch hitter's contributions weren't limited to his bat -- Heineman rang up the final out of the game by throwing out Jacob Young on an attempted steal of second base in the ninth inning. While two games is hardly enough of a sample to suggest the 33-year-old with the .589 career OPS in 306 big-league plate appearances is headed for a breakout, Heineman is at least on his way to earning more playing time with his play. Starting catcher Alejandro Kirk has never been behind the plate for more than 99 games in a season, so if Heineman keeps finding ways to make an impact, he could become a useful second catcher in AL-only formats.
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Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Claims backup spot
Rotowire
Manager John Schneider said Saturday that Heineman has made the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Heineman had the advantage by being the only catcher on the Jays' 40-man roster other than starter Alejandro Kirk, but he's officially beaten out Christian Bethancourt. Despite being a switch hitter, Heineman has never been much of a threat at the plate with a career .212/.298/.273 batting line.
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Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Remains favorite for backup job
Rotowire
Heineman is expected to begin the season as the Blue Jays' No. 2 catcher behind Alejandro Kirk, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
He's the only other catcher on the 40-man roster, so this isn't a big surprise, but NRI signing Christian Bethancourt also hasn't shown enough in camp to push Heineman for the job. The switch-hitting Heineman doesn't offer much offense and has a .212/.298/.273 slash line through 299 plate appearances in the majors, but he could end up seeing the biggest workload of his career in 2025 -- Kirk has never caught more than 99 games in a season.
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