Toronto Blue Jays All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk is expected to miss about six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured left thumb, manager John Schneider told reporters Tuesday (via MLB.com).

The 27-year-old Kirk suffered the injury during the Jays’ 5-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Friday when a sharp foul tip off the bat of Austin Hays struck the bottom part of Kirk’s mitt. Soon after, Kirk was removed from the game and replaced in the lineup and behind the plate by Tyler Heineman.

The loss figures to be a significant one for the defending American League champions. Kirk was off to a slow start at the plate, but overall, he’s a career .267/.343/.398 (108 OPS+) hitter across parts of seven MLB seasons. That’s strong production by the standards of catchers, and Kirk is also a plus defender at the position. Last season, he earned his second All-Star selection.

The Jays, 4-3 to start the season despite having played the Athletics, Rockies, and White Sox thus far, have been hit hard by injuries in the early going. They have, in essence, a full rotation on the IL, including offseason addition Cody Ponce, who is likely to miss the entire remainder of the 2026 season. On the position players front, Kirk joins outfielder Anthony Santander and Addison Barger on the IL.

What’s next at catcher for the Jays?

Heineman, 34, immediately becomes the regular behind the plate for Toronto. He was highly effective in that role in 2025, as he put up an OPS+ of 114 and a WAR of 1.9 in just 61 games. Across a much larger sample, however, Heineman has a career OPS+ of 83. The Jays could use something more in line with his 2025 outputs, but those were probably driven by the small sample.

To take Kirk’s spot on the active roster, the Jays have called up catcher Brandon Valenzuela, whom MLB.com ranks as the No. 24 prospect in the Jays system. The 25-year-old is, like Kirk, a native of Mexico, and he has an OPS of .712 in 586 games across eight minor league seasons. He’d been on the Triple-A Buffalo roster before his promotion. Valenzuela figures to work as Heineman’s backup while Kirk is out. 

Former Super Eagles winger Garba Lawal has explained why Paul Onuachu continues to impress at club level with Trabzonspor but struggles to show the same form for Nigeria.

The 31-year-old striker has been in outstanding form in Turkey, scoring 22 league goals this season, according to Transfermarkt. However, his record for the Super Eagles tells a different story, with just four goals in 34 appearances.

Lawal believes Onuachu’s success in Turkey is largely due to regular playing time and a system built around his strengths. At Trabzonspor, the team’s style suits his aerial ability and hold-up play, allowing him to thrive and remain confident in front of goal. His steady run of matches and clear attacking structure have helped him stay sharp, unlike his difficult spell in England where limited minutes affected his performance.

In contrast, Lawal said international football is a completely different challenge.

“It’s important to remember that national team football is a different ball game. Even in my day, we had strikers like Jonathan Akpoborie, who struggled internationally but would return to his club and score a brace or a hat-trick immediately,” he told Footy Africa.

The former winger also pointed to limited preparation time as a key issue.

“At club level, you have the luxury of time and consistent minutes to find your rhythm. With the national team, you don’t have time to gel; you might only get two or three sessions before a match. If you don’t produce instantly, you risk being dropped,” Lawal added.

The situation reflects a wider issue within the Super Eagles setup, where players often struggle to adapt when their club roles differ from the national team system. This is not unique to Nigeria, as many top players, past and present, have performed better for their clubs than for their countries.

Despite his challenges in green and white, Onuachu remains one of Nigeria’s most reliable scorers in Europe. His fine form in Turkey continues to raise questions about how best to use him at international level, with many believing the team must adopt a system that allows him to show the same clinical edge he displays week in, week out for Trabzonspor.

The visitors raced into the lead inside the opening two minutes thanks to Shevlin’s 15th league goal of the season.

Midfielder Mark Coyle spotted the run of the striker and played the ball in behind a hesitant Larne defence and Shevlin raced clear of Matthew Ridley before rounding Larne goalkeeper Rohan Ferguson and firing into an unguarded net.

Shevlin passed up a great chance to double his and his side’s advantage moments later but Rohan Ferguson produced a smart save to deny him while, at the other end, Ryan Schofield brilliantly saved from Andy Ryan after being set up by Sean Graham.

Both goalkeepers continued to impress – Ferguson blocking Zane Okoro’s low shot with an outstretched foot while Schofield got his body behind an ambitious volley from Ronan Doherty.

Larne’s frustrations were compounded when they were reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of Bent following a challenge on Shevlin in the 35th minute.

But they regrouped and drew level on the stroke of half-time when top goal scorer Ryan slotted home his sixth penalty of the season after Dylan Boyle handled inside the penalty area.

Rohan Ferguson came to the home side’s rescue shortly after the restart when he touched Shevlin’s goal bound header onto the post.

However, he was powerless to prevent the visitors regaining the lead just before the hour mark when Wylie was left unmarked six yards out to glance a header into the bottom corner of the net from a pinpoint Levi Ives delivery.

It was 3-1 with 20 minutes remaining when Patching netted his ninth goal of the season from the spot after Tomas Cosgrove was adjudged to have handled inside the area.

The scoring was completed with seven minutes remaining when Shevlin capitalised on some slack Larne defending to rifle home from 12 yards for his second goal of the night.

Juan Mata has been plying his trade in Australia with Melbourne Victory, but the ex-Manchester United midfielder is now recovering from a nasty injury

Former Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata uploaded a selfie from his hospital bed after undergoing surgery. The ex-Red is now playing for Australian side Melbourne Victory.

He has been a huge player for the Aussie heavyweights, helping himself to five goals and 12 assists in 23 A-League appearances this season. However, he suffered a fracture to his left elbow during Victory’s clash against Wellington Phoenix at AAMI Park.

It’s understood there are “further surgical consultations” ahead for the Spaniard, with more steps set to be taken. However, he sent a message to his followers on social media with a post on Instagram.

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Mata uploaded a selfie of himself from his hospital bed with his left arm in a sling. He said: “Thanks very much to everyone at St John of God Berwich Hospital. And special thanks to Dr Jason Harvey and his team. One day less to be back.”

The status of his injury was confirmed in a statement released by Victory on their club website. It read: “Melbourne Victory is able to provide the following update for Juan Mata.

“The Spaniard will undergo surgery today on a fracture to his left elbow sustained during the first half of last weekend’s Isuzu UTE A-League match against Wellington Phoenix at AAMI Park.

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“Scans on Sunday evening confirmed the fracture, with further surgical consultations dictating the next steps. A-League Men’s Head Coach, Arthur Diles, commented: ‘It is disappointing to be without Juan through injury.

“But our priority as Melbourne Victory is supporting his recovery in every way we can. We remain hopeful of him re-joining the team during the 2025/26 season.”

Mata was recently named as the club’s Player of the Month for March, after the club’s fanbase voted for him. As well as topping the assist charts for the division, he has also created the most chances in the league, while also ranking second for expected assists.

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Mata has been playing in Australia since the summer of 2024, when he joined Western Sydney after a short spell with Japanese side Vissel Kobe. He made the move to Melbourne the following summer and has been there since.

When he joined the club, he said he wants to inspire the young players within Victory’s academy. The World Cup winner said: “They know that I’m here for anything they might need.

“I’ll try to help them as much as I can on the pitch with my game and with my years of experience. I really believe that the future can be bright in Australian football, because the willingness and potential is there, they only need the confidence.

“I only see a way up. I only see that this country is going to keep improving.”

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The Indian senior women’s hockey team will tour Argentina for a four-match series, set to be held at the CeNARD in Buenos Aires from April 13 to 17.

Indian team will play its matches on April 13, 14, 16, and 17 at Argentina’s National Centre of High Performance Athletics (also known as CeNARD).

India and Argentina have enjoyed competitive encounters in recent years, including a thrilling 2-2 draw decided by shootout in the FIH Pro League 202425 last June.

This upcoming tour will offer valuable match practice against quality international opposition ahead of the FIH Hockey World Cup in Belgium and Netherlands and the Asian Games later this year.

The series will serve as important preparation for India, offering four high-tempo matches, while also giving the team an opportunity to explore different combinations and tactics.

Speaking on the tour, Indian women’s hockey team chief coach Sjoerd Marijne said, “We are travelling to Argentina with a squad of 24 players, and that is a very deliberate choice. This tour is about giving more players the chance to perform at the highest level. Argentina is one of the best teams in the world, and that environment will tell us a lot about where each player stands. We want to see who steps up when it matters.

“To earn a place in this team, you need to show everyone that you are a team player first. Individual quality is important, but if you cannot connect with the group and work for each other, it will be very difficult to make this squad.”.

Both the men’s and women’s World Cup will be held simultaneously in Belgium and the Netherlands from August 15 to 30, while the Asian Games will be hosted by AichiNagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4.

DC bowling coach Munaf Patel said Auqib Nabi has shown remarkable focus and maturity.© X (Twitter)