Kiermaier (hip) said in his introductory press conference with the Blue Jays on Thursday that the team indicated to him he will be the everyday starter in center field, Gregor Chisholm of the Toronto Star reports.

EDGE Analysis

The left-handed hitting Kiermaier has a career .661 OPS against lefties as opposed to a .735 OPS versus righties. However, the Jays signed him for his elite defense, so it makes sense that they don't plan to platoon the 32-year-old. With Kiermaier handling center field, George Springer will slide over to right. Kiermaier also noted that he's about 90 percent recovered from left hip surgery and expects to rebound offensively in 2023.