Blue Jays put Brandon Valenzuela behind the plate for decisive game
The Toronto Blue Jays have made a late-series change with Brandon Valenzuela taking over catching duties and hitting eighth for Wednesday’s series finale against the Detroit Tigers, the club announced ahead of the game.
The move gives the 21-year-old rookie an opportunity to form the battery with veteran right-hander Max Scherzer. Alejandro Kirk, who has been sharing catching responsibilities this season, was given the day off from catching duties for the matchup.
Toronto enters the final game of the three-game set having lost the first two contests, a setback as the club chases a berth in the American League Wild Card race. The Blue Jays still held a chance to salvage at least one game in the series on Wednesday afternoon. The lineup announced by the team — circulated online by @UnderdogMLB — listed Valenzuela in the catching slot and eighth in the batting order.
- Brandon Valenzuela: catcher, batting eighth
- Max Scherzer: starting pitcher
- Alejandro Kirk: rested from catching duties for the game
The announced batting order for the Blue Jays that day read as follows:
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| 1. Centre | B. Bateman |
| 2. Right field | N. Lukes |
| 3. First base | V. Guerrero Jr. |
| 4. Designated hitter | G. Springer |
| 5. Third base | K. Okamoto |
| 6. Second base | J. Smith |
| 7. Shortstop | E. Clement |
| 8. Catcher | B. Valenzuela |
| 9. Left field | M. Straw |
Blue Jays 9/16: “B. Bateman CF N. Lukes RF V. Guerrero Jr. 1B G. Springer DH K. Okamoto 3B J. Smith 2B E. Clement SS B. Valenzuela C M. Straw LF M. Scherzer SP”
Valenzuela’s presence behind the plate brings a different look for Toronto’s pitching staff, particularly when paired with a high-profile starter like Scherzer. The veteran pitcher’s experience and Valenzuela’s handling of the game will be under scrutiny as the Blue Jays seek to avoid a two-game split at home and keep momentum in a tight playoff picture.
News of the switch comes amid a busy stretch for Toronto’s roster decisions. The club has shifted pieces in recent games to manage workloads and matchups, with this game seeing George Springer moved into the cleanup spot and Josh Smith slated to bat sixth against Detroit starter Keider Montero, according to the same lineup release.
For Valenzuela, the assignment is another step in what outlets have described as his rookie campaign. The Blue Jays are balancing the development of young players with the immediate goal of staying competitive in September, a month that often determines postseason fate. How the club deploys its catchers and its rotation in the coming days will be watched closely by fans and analysts tracking the Wild Card standings.
Brandon-area baseball followers who track Canadian teams and players will likely watch the game to see how the rookie performs in a pressure situation and whether the tactical change helps Toronto recover a game in the series. With the regular season entering its final weeks, each lineup decision carries added weight for clubs hoping to clinch a postseason berth or secure more favourable matchups.
Toronto’s announced lineup for the finale underlines the club’s willingness to adapt in real time. Whether the Valenzuela-Scherzer pairing will pay immediate dividends remains to be seen, but the move reflects the Blue Jays’ broader strategy of mixing veteran leadership with younger contributors as the race tightens.
