Blue Jays Early Spring Injury Updates

Nothing signals the start of spring training like a barrage of injury news. Pitchers and catchers report to camp today, and that means Blue Jays reporters started showing up to Dunedin earlier this week. Once they did, it wasn't long before injury updates were thrust upon us.

The big news yesterday was that Anthony Santander could miss the next five to six months recovering from shoulder surgery. However, Santander isn't the only Blue Jay undergoing major surgery. Manager John Schneider revealed that right-hander Bowden Francis needs UCL reconstruction and will miss the 2026 season. It's not yet clear if he's going for Tommy John or the less invasive internal brace procedure, but either way, he's out for the year. 

Schneider also offered a concerning update regarding right-hander Shane Bieber. The 2020 AL Cy Young winner will begin the season on the injured list, as he's dealing with forearm fatigue right now. On the bright side, it doesn't seem as if he'll miss significant time; he hasn't been shut down from baseball activities, he just won't be able to ramp up in time for Opening Day. With that said, forearm issues are always worrisome, and especially so for a pitcher who only just returned from Tommy John surgery. 

Given Bieber's status, it's hardly surprising that Eric Lauer will be stretched out as a starter this spring. For as long as Bieber is out, Lauer will be the sixth man on Toronto's starting pitching depth chart – a depth chart that's also thinner without Francis as an emergency backup plan.  

John Schneider also spoke about Yimi García, whose 2025 season concluded before the All-Star break. While an ankle injury sent him to the shelf, it was ulnar nerve symptoms that stopped him from making a return. He had season-ending surgery to address the issue in August. On top of that, he also missed time with a shoulder injury earlier in the year. 

According to Schneider, García is on track to make the Opening Day roster, though the team is still exercising caution with the 35-year-old righty. 

Finally, Toronto's skipper spoke about the many injury issues George Springer played through in 2025. While we already knew about some of them, Schneider told Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith that right wrist discomfort became a problem for the veteran as the year went on.

Apparently, the injury interfered with his throwing, therefore making it difficult for him to play the outfield. Now that he's feeling stronger, however, Springer could see time in the outfield again. Of course, with Santander on the shelf, it might make sense for Springer to be a full-time DH in 2026 anyway, but more flexibility is never a bad thing.