Valera was released by the Blue Jays on Tuesday in order to pursue an opportunity in a foreign league, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

EDGE Analysis

Valera appeared in 39 games for Toronto in 2021 and hit .253/.313/.356 with one homer, 15 RBI and 10 runs in 97 plate appearances. It's unclear which league he's moving to, but the 29-year-old won't open 2022 in a major-league system.

Valera remains out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees.

EDGE Analysis

Valera started at third base in his return from the COVID-19 injured list last Thursday, but he'll since retreated to the bench for each of the Blue Jays' subsequent five contests. Santiago Espinal returned from the IL a day after Valera and looks poised to finish the regular season as the Blue Jays' top option at the hot corner.

Valera was reinstated from the COVID-related injured list Thursday.

EDGE Analysis

The 29-year-old was placed on the list Wednesday after being identified as a close contact of someone who tested positive. He only ended up missing one contest and will start at third base and bat eighth Thursday. Over his last seven contests, Valera has batted .304 with eight RBI and a stolen base.

The Blue Jays will place Valera on the COVID-19-related injured list Wednesday after he was identified as a close contact of an infected person, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

EDGE Analysis

According to Davidi, a family member of Valera's contracted the virus, so the Blue Jays wouldn't seem to be at risk of a team-wide outbreak. Valera is fully vaccinated and has been testing negative for the virus, leaving the Blue Jays optimistic that he'll be sidelined for a short period of time. Jake Lamb will serve as Toronto's top third baseman while Valera is away.

Valera is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rays.

EDGE Analysis

After going 2-for-6 with a double, two walks, an RBI and a stolen base while making starts at third base Saturday and Sunday against the Twins, Valera will cede the hot corner to Jake Lamb in the series opener with the Rays. Valera should remain the Blue Jays' top third baseman versus left-handed pitching, but he'll likely split work with Lamb against righties.

Valera is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays.

EDGE Analysis

Valera started at third base in each of the Blue Jays' last four games, going 5-for-14 with a double and seven RBI. Despite the uptick in work, Valera still looks to be stuck in the short side of a platoon at the hot corner with the lefty-hitting Jake Lamb, who gets the starting nod Wednesday with righty Michael Wacha on the hill for Tampa Bay. Three of Valera's last four starts came against left-handed starting pitchers or primary pitchers.

Valera went 3-for-3 with a walk and three RBI in Monday's 8-1 win over the Rays.

EDGE Analysis

The 29-year-old utility player joined in on the fun of a 17-hit attack by the Jays and drove in three runs for the second straight game. Valera is slashing an improbable .391/.444/.652 through 27 plate appearances in September with a homer and 10 RBI, but that figure seems less surprising in light of Toronto's ridiculous team OPS of 1.044 on the month. While the Jays' offense can do no wrong, Valera becomes an intriguing option in daily leagues when he does get a start.

Valera went 2-for-6 with a double and three RBI in Saturday's 22-7 win over the Orioles.

EDGE Analysis

Valera's solid day at the dish was a mere footnote during a weekend in Baltimore in which Toronto put up 44 runs, but the three RBI established a new season high for the 29-year-old and nearly matched his output (four) from the past month. Though he closed the weekend with back-to-back starts at third base, Valera still looks to be behind Jake Lamb in the pecking order for reps at the position.

Valera is on the bench for Monday's game against the Yankees.

EDGE Analysis

Valera had started three of the past four games at third base, but it's not yet clear if he's usurped Kevin Smith as the top option at the position. Look for manager Charlie Montoyo to deploy the two in a rough timeshare at the hot corner for the next few games, hoping that one of the two catches fire at the plate. Recent waiver pickup Jake Lamb could also factor into the mix at the position.

Valera went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 10-8 win over Oakland.

EDGE Analysis

The 29-year-old extended Toronto's lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning with his first homer of the year. Valera has started to find his way at the plate a bit more, but he's still just 4-for-13 across his last seven games. He's slashing .241/.281/.352 with five RBI and nine runs scored across 57 plate appearances overall. Valera has mainly competed with Kevin Smith for playing time at third base recently.