Kevin Kiermaier robs home run in Blue Jays' first game at renovated Rogers Centre

It didn't take long for Toronto Blue Jays centre fielder Kevin Kiermaier to flash the leather at the newly renovated Rogers Centre.

Playing at the stadium for the first time as a member of the home team on Tuesday, Kiermaier robbed what would have been a home run off the bat of Detroit Tigers designated hitter Kerry Carpenter in the top of the second inning.

The slow-motion replay shows just how perfectly the three-time Gold Glove winner timed his jump to bring the ball back in the yard.

The 32-year-old is one of the most accomplished defenders in the league but still gets excited about making highlight-reel plays.

"It was such a rush, such a thrill," Kiermaier said after the game, per Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith. "I was on cloud nine."

Rogers Centre's dimensions changed ahead of the 2023 season as part of a major overhaul of the stadium. One big difference is that the wall height is no longer uniform from foul pole to foul pole. Straightaway centre field features the shortest wall, so there will be plenty of opportunities for Kiermaier to commit larceny this year.

There was nothing Kiermaier could do a few batters later, though, when Blue Jays starter Alek Manoah coughed up a no-doubt three-run homer to third baseman Nick Maton that put Toronto in an early 3-0 hole. But the Blue Jays were able to crawl their way back thanks to a barrage of homers — including a solo blast from Kiermaier — en route to a 9-3 victory.

Manoah gave props to his centre fielder following the game, praising his ability to consistently pull off web gems — pun intended.

"He's like Spider-Man out there. He's all over the place," Manoah said, according to MLB.com's Keegan Matheson.

Kiermaier is off to a fantastic start with his new team, slashing .400/.400/.533 through eight games entering play on Tuesday, with three of his 12 hits going for extra bases. The former Tampa Bay Ray signed a one-year, $9-million contract in the offseason.