Blue Jays Injury Updates: Santander, Yesavage, Bieber, Ponce

[Leo Morgenstern]

George Springer only started one of Toronto's last four games, as he's been nursing discomfort in his non-dominant shoulder. However, he was able to pinch-hit on Sunday and again on Wednesday. Thankfully, it doesn't seem as if he'll need to go on the injured list. 

As manager John Schneider explained, the long season is starting to get to Springer, who turns 37 next week. Still, he can be available "if [the Blue Jays] need him."

Springer hit .308 with a 144 wRC+ in July and August, and his strong second half is a big reason why the Blue Jays are only one game out of a Wild Card spot. Yet, he's gone just 3-for-24 in September. Playing through pain is nothing new for Springer, and indeed, his left shoulder has been bothering him for a while. So, hopefully, a little time to rest will help him to start producing again over the final weeks of the season. 

Here's a quick rundown of some more Blue Jays players who are dealing with injuries. In a best-case scenario, the Jays will soon get some reinforcements to help with their playoff push. 

Anthony Santander

Anthony Santander played his first rehab game for Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday. The switch-hitter went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. He did not play yesterday. 

Santander is working his way back from shoulder surgery, which has kept him out all season. Considering how the first two years of his Blue Jays career have gone (he also missed much of 2025 with injuries), the Jays should take every precaution to make sure he's at full strength in 2027. That means they won't be rushing him back. 

However, the fact that he's playing rehab games right now means the team thinks he has a legitimate chance to contribute down the stretch. As long as he's healthy, Santander should be a notable upgrade over a bench bat like Sean Keys or Charles McAdoo. At his strongest, he's a middle-of-the-order game-changer who could supplant the underwhelming Jesús Sánchez in Toronto's lineup.

Trey Yesavage

Trey Yesavage (knee) threw a bullpen session earlier this week. Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling reported that his next step would be facing live hitters for about 30 pitches on Thursday. I haven't seen any reporting yet about how that session went, but in this case, no news is probably good news.

Presuming no setbacks, I think a rehab start next week and a return to the Blue Jays the week after is a reasonable timeline. He likely won't be stretched out to make a full start by that point, but even three or four innings from Yesavage would be an upgrade over the (lack of a) fifth starter Toronto has right now.

Shane Bieber

Last weekend, John Schneider told reporters that Shane Bieber (shoulder) could get back on a mound this week, but I'm not sure how optimistic he was about it. His exact words were: "in a perfect world.”

On Monday, Bieber played more catch on flat ground. That's the last bit of reporting we've seen about his progress. 

Schneider also said over the weekend that Bieber is on track to return about a week and a half after Yesavage. If that's still the case, the soonest I can realistically picture Bieber back on the team is in the Wild Card Series – presuming the Blue Jays make it there. A Yesavage/Bieber piggyback could be an interesting plan for a Wild Card round game. 

Cody Ponce

I'll admit that sometimes I forget Cody Ponce is on the Blue Jays. The 2025 KBO MVP signed a three-year deal with Toronto last winter, then suffered a devastating knee injury in his first start of the season. 

When he went for ACL surgery in April, his estimated timeline to return was six months. That meant he could play again in 2026 if the Blue Jays advanced far enough into the playoffs. It seems his rehab has progressed on schedule, and a mid-October return remains possible. 

Zwelling's report has a pessimistic tone to me; he seems to place the emphasis on the fact that Ponce could only return if the Blue Jays survive long enough. Yet, for me, his tweet was an important reminder that Ponce still exists and still has a chance to pitch for the Jays in 2026. 

More Updates

• Jameson Taillon (elbow) returned from the IL on Saturday... and returned to the IL on Sunday. He is now set to meet with Dr. Keith Meister (per Zwelling). I'm sure the orthopedic surgeon is good at his job, but no ballplayer ever wants to meet him. 
• Luis Urías (quad) was about to start a rehab assignment, but he suffered a setback. He was really good for the Jays for a few weeks, but we've heard very little about him lately. I'm not counting on anything more from Urías this season. 

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