Blue Jays Injury Updates: Bieber, García, Tiedemann

In two starts since he came off the injured list, Dylan Cease has given up seven hits and one run in 11 innings, striking out 18. He's doing everything he can to finally earn his first All-Star selection and get back in the AL Cy Young race. The Blue Jays couldn't be more grateful. 

Alejandro Kirk was behind the plate for Cease's most recent gem, marking the first time the two have worked together since April 3. In three games since his own return from the IL, Kirk is hitting .364 (4-for-11) with a .916 OPS. 

Slowly but surely, the Blue Jays are getting healthier, and the team's outlook is growing brighter. Just don't ask me about Max Scherzer's first start back from the IL. Instead, we can talk about some of the other reinforcements on the way.

 Shane Bieber  (Elbow)

Shane Bieber is making another rehab start for Triple-A Buffalo today. According to Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling, the goal is about 75 pitches. The team has not confirmed that this will be the last rehab appearance for Bieber, but John Schneider suggested as much last week, telling Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith that Bieber needed one more rehab outing before the righty could make his way back to Toronto. 

Bieber's return can't come soon enough for a Blue Jays team fighting to get back above .500. In fact, I recently named him one of the three biggest X-factors for the Jays as they try to get back in the playoff picture.

However, his return could also force a difficult decision: Who will lose their spot in the rotation to make room for the 2020 AL Cy Young winner?

 Yimi García  (Elbow)

Yimi García hasn't pitched in the majors since last July, but he has now made six appearances during his latest rehab stint. In his most recent outing, he struck out all three Triple-A batters he faced. While his stuff has been looking better, The Athletic's Mitch Bannon suggested recovery time might still be a concern. As Bannon pointed out, García has had at least three days of rest between all his rehab outings. If he's going to be of help to the Jays' bullpen, he needs to be able to pitch more frequently. 

Whichever of Bieber or García comes back second is going to force the harder roster decision. Presumably, Simeon Woods Richardson is the first to go when Toronto needs an active roster spot. It's a lot harder to figure out how the team will find a second opening on the 26-man.

 Ricky Tiedemann  (Elbow)

We were supposed to see Ricky Tiedemann pitch in spring training this year, but a bout of elbow soreness dashed those hopes. Last night, Jays Centre's No. 5 prospect finally made his 2026 debut, tossing an inning for the Florida Complex League team. Although he gave up two hits and a run, the outing was a huge step in the right direction for the promising young lefty. 

Tiedemann's long-term future is still as a starting pitcher, but he'll probably be limited to shorter outings this year. The silver lining to that is it could accelerate his MLB debut. As long as he keeps making progress, it's a very real possibility that Tiedemann joins the Blue Jays' bullpen down the stretch this season.

More Blue Jays Injury Updates

•  Addison Barger  (elbow) could begin a rehab assignment later this week (per Sportsnet).
• There is no timeline yet for Daulton Varsho (wrist), but the center fielder has resumed hitting drills. According to Sportsnet's Shi Davidi, Varsho's wrist is feeling "much better" than it did last week.
• Lazaro Estrada is technically still on a rehab assignment, even though he's pitching for Triple-A Buffalo, which is likely where he'll stay when he's reinstated. He made his fifth rehab appearance yesterday, giving up two runs in 2.2 innings.
• Arjun Nimmala remains on the minor league injured list with a hamstring strain. Jays Centre's No. 3 prospect hasn't played since May 27, and unfortunately, there's no word yet on when he'll return.