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Blue Jays Place Isiah Kiner-Falefa On Injured List, Recall Leo Jimenez For Major League Debut

By Darragh McDonald | July 2, 2024 at 3:05pm CDT

The Blue Jays announced that infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a left knee sprain. Infielder Leo Jimenez has been recalled in a corresponding move and will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.

Kiner-Falefa, 29, was a late scratch from yesterday’s game. Manager John Schneider said that the infielder “felt something” which “popped up out of nowhere” during his pre-game stretches, per Hazel Mae of Sportsnet on X. It’s unclear how much time the Jays expect him to miss but the injury is significant enough that he’ll require an IL stint.

Signed to a two-year deal in the offseason, IKF has been having the best campaign of his career thus far. He has always been a glove-first utility guy but had hit just .261/.314/.346 coming into the year for an 81 wRC+. Though much has gone wrong for the Jays here in 2024, Kiner-Falefa’s deal has been a nice development, as he has hit .292/.338/.420 for a wRC+ of 117. He’s done that while playing the three infield positions to the left of first base and one inning in center field as well. His 2.0 wins above replacement are currently leading the team, according to the calculations at FanGraphs.

It’s a less than ideal development for the Jays, who have fallen back in the American League playoff picture. Though many contenders have been bunched up in the Wild Card race for a lot of the year, the Jays have slipped to 38-46, tied with the Tigers and Rangers and eight games out of the last postseason spot. With the trade deadline less than a month away, the club will need a serious hot streak to avoid a summer selloff, which will be harder to do without one of their more productive players on the season. If the summer selloff does end up coming to pass, there would also be an argument for selling high on IKF, though that could perhaps be less likely now, depending on how things develop in the next few weeks.

In the meantime, Jimenez gets his first call to the big leagues. An international signing out of Panama in 2017, he’s long been considered one of the better prospects in the Jays’ system. Baseball America has ranked him one of the top 30 farmhands in the organization since 2019, generally considering him a strong defender at shortstop but with a possibility that he ends up at second base due to his arm.

Offensively, Jimenez is considered more of a line drive hitter than a power threat but the plate discipline appears to be strong. He has stepped to the plate just under 1200 times since the start of 2021 with just 22 home runs but a 12.8% walk rate and a 16.4% strikeout rate. He’s slashed a combined .269/.404/.401 in that time for a wRC+ of 127. That includes a line of .271/.416/.431 and 129 wRC+ in 57 Triple-A games this year, with a 13.3% walk rate and 15% strikeout rate.

Jimenez has mostly played shortstop this year but also some second base. The Jays have Bo Bichette at short but the keystone could be available. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has some sore fingers after being hit by a pitch and missed yesterday’s game, so Spencer Horwitz could perhaps move to first until Guerrero is ready to return. That would leave second base open for Jimenez and Davis Schneider, though Schneider has also been playing left field this year.

Though this is his first call to the big leagues, Jimenez was actually added to the 40-man roster back in November of 2021 to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. That means he is in his final option year and will be out of options by next season. Given his solid profile, he’ll likely be ticketed for a role on next year’s team. If the 2024 season ends up being a lost year for the Jays, they can at least use the final months of the schedule to audition controllable players like Jimenez, Horwitz, Schneider and Addison Barger as they evaluate how to approach building next year’s roster.

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Toronto Blue Jays Isiah Kiner-Falefa Leo Jimenez

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35 Comments

  1. jamesryu14

    1 year ago

    Just what they needed

    Reply
  2. its_happening

    1 year ago

    Injury came up rather sudden. Could’ve occurred while doing outfield sprints or choreography for a new hand shake.

    Jimenez can flash the leather.

    3
    Reply
  3. jimmertee

    1 year ago

    When it rains it pours.

    It is time to trade the team in full rebuild or trade the farm in a retool. One or the other. Just get it done. Except Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro are not the two to lead the change.

    Next.

    1
    Reply
  4. LordD99

    1 year ago

    Might make it easier to make the decision to sell. On the flip side, might make it harder to trade IKF, depending on the severity of the injury. Time for the next rebuild to begin.

    1
    Reply
  5. LordD99

    1 year ago

    Pretty spectacular collapse considering his age. He’s been done since 29. Still only 31. I didn’t expect him to age well, but I didn’t expect him to drive off a cliff either.

    Reply
    • Reynaldo

      1 year ago

      Are you daft or just uninformed? He has 3.2 bWar this season, which is already his 2nd best season in his career. The only thing that has drove off the cliff is your understanding about the game.

      9
      Reply
      • LordD99

        1 year ago

        Or, this was for the Tim Anderson thread.

        9
        Reply
  6. woodhead1986

    1 year ago

    Hate to say it, but the jays are gonna end up like the white sox if they don’t make big changes. Both FO’s over estimated the length and strength of their competitive window, both on field teams have cocky, selfish players who talk more than they ever win. Blow it up now or coax TLR out of retirement and lean into chaos lmao

    Reply
    • Canuckleball

      1 year ago

      I don’t think the Jays management over estimated the contention window. Go back a few years and it sure looked like it was going to be a decent run of at least 4 to 6 years.

      The problem was their inexplicable belief that all the team needed was pitching and defense and they completely disassembled what was a highly potent offense. They voluntarily closed the window on themselves.

      2
      Reply
      • bestone

        1 year ago

        Looking back into recent history, I can’t recall a team that was not balanced (defence/offence) that won anything major. A well prepared team would be equipped to better any random opponent…regardless if the opponent was stronger offensively or defensively.
        I can’t believe the bone headed moves made by this organization.

        Reply
      • woodhead1986

        1 year ago

        You make some good points, their FO is incompetent as well as short sighted

        Reply
  7. CTS4

    1 year ago

    It’s a Nightmare and I can’t wake up !!

    shapiro and his useless GM atkins are still here……

    Reply
  8. jimmertee

    1 year ago

    The BlueJays need an elite baseball executive running the show. They could have had AA, they could have had Dombrowksi but now who is available and elite? Sadly there are not many elite executives available out there at the moment. Pat Gillick wants to stay retired. Perhaps Jeter. No one else.

    1
    Reply
    • sovietcanuckistanian

      1 year ago

      Jeter? the player? sure, take him in a heartbeat. Jeter the executive? Have you seen the state the Marlins are (perpetually – these last few years at least) in? no. I’ll agree with whiffing on AA though. what could have been…

      Reply
    • iains 2

      1 year ago

      Gillick is only 86 years old…

      Reply
      • misterb71

        1 year ago

        At that age Gillick is still lightyears ahead of Jeter as an executive.

        Reply
    • bestone

      1 year ago

      Not sure if someone has to be elite or not. It would help if they didn’t get played by agents and other GMs. (Re: Otani’s agent abused the Jays…that in itself should have canned Atkins).
      Basically someone that is RESPECTED in the baseball world would be a good start.

      Reply
    • its_happening

      1 year ago

      They’d need John Hart. Yes the Braves situation put a stain on his career. However, he is a baseball man who helped build teams. Jays would need him to help fix the scouting department and bring in some trusted coaches. Although it would not shock me if Shapiro brought him in since they have Cleveland ties.

      Reply
  9. BlueSkies_LA

    1 year ago

    My markers are on IKF going to the Dodgers, assuming his knee injury is minor.

    Reply
    • Canuckleball

      1 year ago

      The thing is, the most likely move for Toronto is to try to retool for next year. IKF is under contract for next year and is exactly the type of multi position player that Jays management likes.

      If they tear it down to the studs then obviously IKF goes, but if they just do a retool, he will almost certainly stay.

      1
      Reply
    • KamKid

      1 year ago

      Do Dodgers fans have any interest in Bichette or are they scared off by the performance this season?

      Reply
      • BlueSkies_LA

        1 year ago

        Scared off by the lack of improvement he offers.

        1
        Reply
        • KamKid

          1 year ago

          Yeah. It’s a tough sell this season. Is that more recency bias because of production or more of a feeling that SS is a glove first position and he doesn’t improve the defensive end for the team?
          In the offseason, when the rumors around the Dodgers checking in on Bichette were floating around, was there a sense that Dodger fans might have liked him then?

          Reply
        • BlueSkies_LA

          1 year ago

          Going after Bichette would have represented a very different IF plan than the one they decided to pursue early on. By the time it became clear Lux wasn’t going to work at SS they had no option but to improvise. Now with the injuries they are improvising again, but fortunately Rojas is more than working out at SS, and nobody on the market can provide any significant upgrade to him defensively or offensively. Now they need to focus on a 3B upgrade and someone who can also play other IF positions as depth.

          Reply
  10. manfraud

    1 year ago

    Does anyone know why there is such a discrepancy in WAR between baseballreference and fangraphs? May not apply to every player but IKF has 3.2 on BR and 2.0 on FG which is a pretty substantial difference

    Reply
    • CBeisbol

      1 year ago

      Defense

      They use different systems

      1
      Reply
  11. CBeisbol

    1 year ago

    IKF having a great year.

    Can’t help but recall all the comments regarding his signing this offseason.

    I also understand that it’s possible to be right about a player, but misread the market

    Reply
    • Canuckleball

      1 year ago

      The comments were still correct. The Jays needed offense and IKF has a long track record of not being an offensive player. There was no way to predict he would hit like this, And history says it won’t likely continue.

      They’ve been lucky that he’s performed this far beyond reasonable expectations.

      1
      Reply
      • CBeisbol

        1 year ago

        Cnb

        Ahh yes. Witch trial rules.

        If you don’t admit you’re a witch, you’re a witch.

        Heads I win, tails you lose

        Reply
        • Canuckleball

          1 year ago

          Have you struck your head?

          2
          Reply
        • CBeisbol

          1 year ago

          Canuck

          You’re the one saying that the criticism was correct because :checks notes: IKF has been good, actually

          Anyway

          Unwarranted insult, adios

          Reply
        • Canuckleball

          1 year ago

          I was saying the comments were correct at the time based on history and reality and they were.

          Nobody has the ability to see the future. There was no way for anyone, including the Jays front office who could have predicted IKF would be a good offensive player this season.

          He had 6 seasons in the majors before this year and in all 6 he was below average at the plate.

          They got him for defense, like almost all of their other recent acquisitions. They needed offense and they got another glove man.

          The front office got lucky that he has hit well to this point this year. It wasn’t part of the plan

          1
          Reply
      • sovietcanuckistanian

        1 year ago

        while it would be a precursor to some sort of re tool/build/jiggering, if they can cash in thier chips with IKF of current, I say they almost have to, if only for the sake of having some hope of a prospect in return panning out in a few years.

        Reply
  12. Spaced-Cowboy

    1 year ago

    Wake me up when there’s good news…

    Reply
  13. Ignorant Son-of-a-b

    1 year ago

    You don’t want Atkins in charge of the rebuild. I say they resign Vladdy, retool at deadline, and try again next year one last time. They still will have Gausman, Bassit, and Berrios. (Actually the problem there is Gausman might be passed his sell-by date; hard to remain elite as a two-pitch pitcher).

    Reply

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