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The Toronto Blue Jays are dealing with significant injury concerns as the team opens spring training preparations, with multiple key players sidelined ahead of the new MLB season.
According to the Sports Net, the club confirmed that designated hitter Anthony Santander is undergoing left labral surgery and is expected to miss five to six months.
Starting pitcher Bowden Francis is also set for ulnar collateral ligament surgery, ruling him out for the entire 2026 season.
Meanwhile, right handed pitcher Shane Bieber is experiencing forearm fatigue and is delaying his throwing program.
Santander, 31, enters the second year of a five year, $92.5 million contract. He appeared in only 54 games last season due to shoulder issues and posted a .175 batting average with six home runs and 18 RBIs.
Francis struggled with injuries in 2025, making just 14 starts and finishing with a 6.05 ERA across 64 innings pitched.
Bieber, acquired from Cleveland at the trade deadline, remains one of the brighter spots on the roster after posting a 3.57 ERA in seven starts with Toronto and contributing during the playoffs.
Despite the injuries, the Toronto Blue Jays continue preparations for their spring training opener on February 21 in Dunedin against the Philadelphia Phillies.
The team’s regular season begins March 27 at Rogers Centre against the Athletics as management looks to navigate early challenges to the pitching and hitting lineup.
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