Blue Jays’ John Schneider Sends Warning To All-Star Injury Replacement

Toronto Blue Jays’ Alejandro Kirk Substitute, Brandon Valenzuela, Struggles In Latest Sweep

In Kirk’s absence, the team’s substitute catchers, Tyler Heineman and Brandon Valenzuela, have showcased some problems, with Valenzuela struggling against the Rays in particular.

“Saying it has not been a good week for the Toronto backstops is an understatement,” Langley added. “In Florida, it was young Brandon Valenzuela who showed his greenness by burning both ABS challenges far too early and later in the game getting thrown out at second with an inexcusable blunder on the basepaths.”

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Toronto Blue Jays Skipper John Schneider Sends Warning To Brandon Valenzuela With Demotion Looming

And as Valenzuela makes his on-field case to serve as the primary backup for Kirk when he returns, manager John Schneider issued a warning to the young backstop about where he needs to improve.

“To be an established major-league catcher, you’ve got to understand game plans,” Schneider said, according to the Toronto Star’s Mike Wilner. “You’ve got to understand where you’re setting up and you’ve got to understand game situations. That’s the last box to check off. Going back the last couple of years, I talked about the same things with Kirk. The quicker (Valenzuela) can continue to develop that is going to be good for him, but he’s got some pretty elite defensive skills.”

That warning suggested that Valenzuela will be heading back to Triple-A whenever Kirk returns to the lineup, with Heineman serving as the team’s big-league backup. But sooner or later, Valenzuela will be returning to the majors, especially if he can convince the team he’s taken a step up in his game planning and pitcher management.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com