Tyler Heineman Fantasy Stats

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Tyler Heineman (head) is behind the plate to catch right-hander Kevin Gausman and will hit eighth in Wednesday's series finale at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies and left-hander Kyle Freeland. Heineman had to leave Saturday's game early with a head contusion, but he avoided a concussion and will rejoin the starting lineup to give regular catcher Alejandro Kirk a day off. Now that Kirk is back from his stay on the concussion injured list, the 34-year-old Heineman has returned to backup duties in Toronto. Although Heineman is hitting a strong .330 (35-for-106) this year, it's come with only three home runs, 16 RBI, 20 runs and two stolen bases in a backup role. Fantasy managers in DFS should be able to find better options, even with Heineman making the start at hitter-friendly Coors Field.

Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Andres Gimenez (quadriceps) and catcher Tyler Heineman (concussion) are on track to come off the injured list to rejoin the big-league club on Tuesday before their series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies. Neither Gimenez nor Heineman move the needle much in fantasy, but they will be much-needed reinforcements for a banged-up Blue Jays team early in June. Gimenez, 26, has been out since May 9 with a strained right quadriceps, and he should return to starting duties at the keystone this week. He went 2-for-12 in four minor-league rehab games with Single-A Dunedin and will be returning to a .195/.273/.305 slash line with three home runs, 10 RBI, 17 runs scored and nine stolen bases. Gimenez is really only attractive in fantasy for his speed in deep-mixed and AL-only leagues.

The Toronto Blue Jays have placed catcher Tyler Heineman (concussion) on the 7-day concussion injured list. This move is retroactive to May 23. The Blue Jays promoted catcher Ali Sanchez to the MLB roster in a corresponding move. The 33-year-old will now be sidelined for at least the next week. Throughout the opening two months of the season, Heineman has been deployed as the No. 2 option behind the dish, behind Alejandro Kirk. Across 19 contests, Heineman has been productive when called on, posting a .396/.412/.542 slash line with four doubles and one home run. While Heineman is sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Sanchez to serve as the No. 2 backstop in Toronto. This afternoon, Sanchez will start behind the dish, with Kirk getting the day off.

The New York Mets have traded catcher Tyler Heineman to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for cash considerations. Right-hander Max Castillo was designated for assignment in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for the backstop. The 32-year-old split the 2023 season between the Pirates and Blue Jays organizations and was productive in Toronto where he hit .276 with an .812 OPS in a small 37-plate-appearance sample size. At the same time, he hit just .214 with one home run and five stolen bases across 36 games at Triple-A Buffalo within the Jays organization. All told, he is a career .218 hitter with one homer and five steals across 283 MLB plate appearances with the Marlins, Giants, Pirates, and Blue Jays.

The Pittsburgh Pirates reassigned catcher Tyler Heineman to Triple-A Indianapolis and optioned right-hander Yerry De Los Santos to Indianapolis on Tuesday. The team also released catcher Kevin Plawecki from his minor-league contract. Heineman, 31, will open the year in the minors as catching depth for the organization behind Austin Hedges and Jason Delay. He's hit just .214 with one home run and 12 RBI in 82 career games with the Pirates, Giants, Marlins and Blue Jays. De Los Santos, 25, had a 4.91 ERA (4.01 FIP), 1.29 WHIP, three saves and 26 strikeouts in 25 2/3 relief innings in his major-league debut for Pittsburgh in 2022. He should get another shot in the Bucs' bullpen at some point in 2023.

San Francisco Giants catcher Joey Bart will take a seat Saturday versus San Diego and right-hander Zach Davies, ceding way to Tyler Heineman. Bart has been striking out in droves during his first exposure to big league pitching, having recorded at least one K in each of his last eight games. While he has posted an above-average 47.5% Hard Hit rate, he is yet to collect his first home run. Should the Giants make the postseason, Bart would garner considerable interest in DFS contests due to the nature of the thin catchers market.