TORONTO — It’s easy not to notice Alejandro Kirk. The Blue Jays catcher doesn’t say much. He doesn’t kick down doors after losses or unveil viral quotes following Toronto’s wins. But with Kirk out for 70 games due to a broken thumb, the Jays certainly noticed his absence. And in his return, Kirk was impossible to miss.First, the 27-year-old catcher calmly tapped his helmet on Trey Yesavage’s very first pitch, getting a called ball overturned to a strike through ABS. Kirk followed it with three hits, a walk and two RBIs, sparking Toronto’s 8-5 win over the New York Yankees. It took Kirk just nine innings to show why, quietly, he may be exactly what the Jays need.“He sneaks around here and doesn’t say much,” Ernie Clement said. “But I think you see everything he does on the field. It’s just special.”In early May, halfway through Kirk’s extended absence, manager John Schneider was asked to reflect on life without his All-Star backstop. The manager released a long sigh, the sort of exhausted breath of a man navigating games without his starting catcher, then began to speak on all the ways Kirk impacts the Jays — game calling, the run game, framing, contact, power against lefties, control of the strike zone and, of course, his calm in the clubhouse.“It’s been a little lonely without Kirky,” Schneider said at the time. “I miss him giving me the nod, just being Kirky.”Without Kirk, the Jays still had the best defensive catching tandem in baseball, per Fielding Run Value. Their backstops combined for the 11th-most Baseball Reference WAR among catchers, too. Brandon Valenzuela was brilliant filling in for the Jays, walking off the Phillies last week, mashing homers and earning the right to stay on the roster, as the Jays instead designated Tyler Heineman for assignment with Kirk’s return. And yet, for the Jays (34-36), Kirk still has almost everything they lack.“He’s so steady on both sides of the ball,” Schneider said. “I think it can kind of rub off.”Kirk is among the best at his position in every aspect. He led catchers in blocking last year, ranked second in framing, possessed an above-average arm and ranked fifth with a 116 wRC+ on offence. Many teams, like the Yankees, essentially punt on offence to get a better defensive catcher. Having a catcher who can provide both, Clement said, lengthens the Jays’ lineup unquantifiably.There are also three things Kirk does that the Jays just haven’t done well this year: hit lefties, hit with runners in scoring position and minimize chase.