Isiah Kiner-Falefa Expected To Begin Rehab Assignment On Saturday
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa (knee) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday if all goes well over the next couple of days during his workouts, according to manager John Schneider. A left-knee sprain has kept Kiner-Falefa out since early July, but barring a setback this weekend with Buffalo, he could come off the 10-day injured to rejoin the big-league roster next week. The 29-year-old utility man has had a bounce-back season in his first year in Toronto, hitting .292 (75-for-257) with seven home runs, 33 RBI and 32 runs scored in 281 trips to the plate over 82 games played. He needs just two more homers to set a new career-high in that category and could see regular starts at the 6 in Toronto when he returns with Bo Bichette (calf) currently on the IL.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa Placed On The 10-Day Injured List
The Toronto Blue Jays placed infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa (knee) on the 10-day injured list when calling up shortstop Leo Jimenez, the club's fifth-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Kiner-Falefa has shed the perception of him being a defensive-only player by hitting .292/.338/.420 with seven homers, 33 RBI, 32 runs scored, and three stolen bases. Fantasy managers may want to consider Jimenez as a waiver wire option for those looking for middle infield help. He was slashing .271/.416/.431 with seven homers, 33 RBI, and 40 runs scored. Jimenez slashed .271/.416/.431 with seven homers and three steals with Buffalo this season. The 23-year-old will have an opportunity to establish himself for a franchise struggling to stay in the American League Wild Card chase.
Toronto Blue Jays infielder/outfielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa (knee) was scratched from Monday's lineup against the visiting Houston Astros with a "left-knee injury," according to the team. With Kiner-Falefa heading to the bench, veteran Kevin Kiermaier entered the lineup in center field and is batting ninth against Astros right-hander Hunter Brown. It's bad timing for the 29-year-old Kiner-Falefa, even if his injury is minor, as he snapped a 13-game hitting streak on Sunday in the loss to the New York Yankees by going 0-for-4. The recent hot stretch has boosted his season slash line to .292/.338/.420 with seven home runs, 33 RBI and 32 runs scored in 257 at-bats in his first year with Toronto. It's been a nice bounce-back campaign to this point after he disappointed in his two seasons in the Bronx the last two years.
Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa went 2-for-4 in Friday's 16-5 loss to the Yankees. Kiner-Falefa singled and hit his seventh long ball of the season, a solo shot, while also scoring twice. June has been the former fourth-round draft pick's most productive month so far, posting a .322-3-15-12-0 line with a .355 wOBA, 133 wRC+, and is currently in the midst of a 12-game hit streak. Overall he's proven to be an asset for the Jays with a .286-7-32-29-3 line on the season while logging time at 2B, 3B, SS, and even one game in CF. The positional versatility translates to fantasy as well, eligible at all four of those spots, so if managers in deep leagues are in need of a useful bench bat that doesn't strike out a lot (13.6% K%), then Kiner-Falefa could fill that role.
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa went 2-for-3 with two solo home runs and a hit-by-pitch in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. He took Guardians right-hander Ben Lively deep in the top of the third inning for his first home run of the game. The 29-year-old later smashed another solo shot in the top of the eighth inning for his second long ball on Saturday. He has collected a hit in seven straight games, hitting .384 (10-for-23) with two home runs, five RBI, and three runs scored during the streak. Fantasy managers can use Kiner-Falefa as a streamer while he's wielding a hot bat.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa Continues To Hit Well, Drives In Five
Toronto Blue Jays utility player Isiah Kiner-Falefa went 2-for-3 with a double and five RBI on Sunday, leading the Jays to a 6-4 extra-innings win over the Oakland Athletics. Kiner-Falefa drove in a pair with a single in the second inning and then cleared the bases with a double in the tenth to put the Jays in front for good. IKF has carved out an everyday role with the Jays, starting 21 straight games and hitting safely in 16 of his last 18 games. Still, he doesn't have much fantasy value outside of the deepest leagues.
The Toronto Star's Gregor Chisholm writes that Toronto Blue Jays infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa appears to be the favorite to get the bulk of the reps at third base after the team signed him to a two-year, $15 million this offseason. Veteran Justin Turner will also get some starts there, too, but most of his at-bats figure to come at designated hitter. Cavan Biggio and Santiago Espinal could factor in at the hot corner as well, but they'll also be in play at second base, along with Davis Schneider. But unless the Jays re-sign Matt Chapman, Kiner-Falefa's position will likely be at third. The 28-year-old is mostly helpful for his positional versatility, but his bat hasn't really impressed in his time in the majors. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues will merely hope to take advantage of his positional eligibility and his speed in a good lineup, but he's going to need to produce to stay on the field.
Blue Jays Grab Isiah Kiner-Falefa On Two-Year Deal
The Toronto Blue Jays have signed utility player Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a two-year, $15 million contract with $1 million of performance bonuses included. The veteran spent parts of four seasons with the Texas Rangers to begin his career before spending the last two seasons with the New York Yankees. Most recently, the 28-year-old hit .242 with six home runs and 14 stolen bases across 115 appearances with the Yankees in the 2023 season. While his bat has graded well below the league average, as per his career 81 wRC+, Kiner-Falefa's value comes on the defensive side of the ball. He spent time at all three outfield positions in the 2023 season while also playing 240 1/3 innings at third base and a combined nine frames between second and shortstop.
Yankees Among A Dozen Teams Interested In Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Free-agent utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa is drawing interest from around 12 teams, including the New York Yankees. Interested teams are considering him for a super-utility role or at shortstop/third base. Kiner-Falefa is mostly useful for his defensive versatility and speed in fantasy leagues. He slashed .242/.306/.340 with six home runs, 12 doubles, three triples, 37 RBI, 14 stolen bases and 39 runs scored in 113 games in his second year for the Yankees in 2023. The 28-year-old has very little power to speak of, though, and his speed on the basepaths is mitigated without a regular starting role. IKF's fantasy value for the upcoming season will depend on where he lands, but he's likely to only be useful as a bench option in deep-mixed or single-league formats.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa Cranks First Home Run Of The Year
New York Yankees outfielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa went 2-for-3 with a home run and three runs scored in a victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday. The 28-year-old has been buried on New York's depth chart despite positional versatility and a myriad of injuries to their roster over the course of the season. He was certainly the biggest loser of top-prospect Anthony Volpe's call-up and preservation of his roster spot to this point. Harrison Bader's recent activation and strong play may also restrict whatever hope Kiner-Falefa had of seeing consistent playing time in center field. Despite Tuesday's display, consider it just a blip on the radar. Kiner-Falefa has a scant .531 OPS with just three RBI across 80 at-bats, so continue to ignore him on waiver wires.
