The Toronto Blue Jays roster gets a shakeup on Sunday as the team looks to avoid a series sweep against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Backup catcher Tyler Heineman has been placed on the seven-day injured list due to a concussion, retroactive to May 23, the team announced.
In a subsequent move, the Blue Jays selected catcher Ali Sánchez to the Major League roster, and he’ll be active for Sunday’s ball game.
Meanwhile, LHP Josh Walker has been designated for assignment.
Heineman is in his second season with Toronto and suited up for 19 games in 2025 before being sidelined. The 33-year-old is slashing .396/.412/.542 for 10 runs, six RBIs and one homer through 48 at-bats.
Sanchez is in his fourth year as a pro, spending the last three with the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins. He made 96 plate appearances with the Marlins in 2024, batting .167 for five runs and four RBIs on 14 hits.
The 28-year-old will slot into the starting lineup on Sunday and backstop for Toronto.
Walker pitched just five innings for the Blue Jays this season. The lefty held a 7.20 ERA through three games with eight strikeouts and two walks.
The latest roster moves come less than 24 hours after the team placed reliever Yimi Garcia on the 15-day IL (right shoulder impingement) and recalled Paxton Schutlz from triple-A.
Toronto enters Sunday’s game following back-to-back 3-1 losses to Tampa Bay, and will need to beat the AL East rival to return to .500 on the season.
A victory would also break a stalemate for third-place in the division, with both teams sitting at 25-26, and bring the winner into a tie with the Boston Red Sox (27-27) for second, and 5.5 games back of the New York Yankees (31-20).
First pitch is set for 1:40 p.m. ET / 10:40 a.m. PT on Sportsnet One and Sportsnet+.
