The Toronto Blue Jays’ pitchers and catchers have yet to officially report to spring training, but the team’s depth will be tested early with several injuries to key players. Outfielder Anthony Santander will miss five to six months due to left shoulder surgery, manager John Schneider revealed in a pre-spring media availability, and starter Shane Bieber will have his spring ramp-up delayed due to forearm fatigue.

After Santander’s disastrous debut season in Toronto, playing just 54 games due to multiple injuries, the switch-hitting slugger was seen as a rebound candidate in 2026. His power could’ve helped Toronto fill the void left by the departure of Bo Bichette, who signed with the New York Mets.

Instead, Santander suffered a setback in January and will undergo surgery on Feb. 11. A productive 2026 appears unlikely, though he does hope to play at some point this year, Schneider said.

In Santander’s place, Nathan Lukes, Joey Loperfido and RJ Schreck, among others, will be given a shot to earn more run, though none bring the same power potential of Santander. Addison Barger, general manager Ross Atkins said, will likely see most of his playing time in the outfield.

The club’s offence lifted the team to the World Series in 2025, overcoming stumbles in the rotation and bullpen. With no Bichette and months without Santander, it’ll take a few surprise stories for the Jays to return an elite lineup this year.

Toronto’s pitching depth appears better positioned to overcome early injuries, though Bieber’s questionable status remains an early blow, with the right-hander set to start the season on the IL. The Jays will also be without Bowden Francis for all of 2026, as he will undergo Tommy John surgery this week.

The injuries put more pressure on Kevin Gausman, Cody Ponce, Dylan Cease and Trey Yesavage to haul heavy innings. It also opens up a clear path for José Berríos to return to the rotation, following the veteran’s demotion to the bullpen ahead of the 2025 postseason. With Eric Lauer also able to start, the Jays have enough pitchers, for now, but another injury could turn a deep staff into a precarious situation.

Ensuring, at some point this season, the Jays return a healthy Bieber appears to be the priority.

Although Atkins declined to provide a specific timeline, the general manager said the hope is that Bieber will still make many starts for the Jays in 2026. When healthy, the righty is a clear playoff starter and potentially a top-of-rotation arm.

Bieber spent his first few weeks with the Jays last summer, after he was acquired from the Cleveland Guardians at the 2025 trade deadline, finishing his recovery from Tommy John surgery. He posted a 3.57 ERA in seven regular season starts and then a 3.86 mark in five postseason outings. He looked well recovered from surgery and close to his Cy Young winning heights, but we learned in the offseason he suffered from forearm fatigue at the end of the playoffs.

The ailment was revealed in an offseason MRI, Atkins said, causing the spring ramp-up delay.

Most offseason contract projections predicted Bieber to earn far more than the one-year, $16 million deal he opted into for 2026 with Toronto. The pitcher’s unclear health status helps explain his decision to opt in. Bieber’s ailment also explains, at least in part, why the Jays spent the winter loading up on rotation depth. They signed Cease and Ponce and continued to poke around the pitching market late into the offseason, league sources said, too.

With injuries to Francis and Bieber, the Jays may turn back to free agency to rebuild their rotation depth. A reunion with Chris Bassitt or Max Scherzer could now make sense.

It’s not entirely shocking the Jays are dealing with a slew of early injuries. For a team that went to Game 7 of the World Series last year, many players are coming off career-highs in workload and a shortened offseason. The Jays, now, must lean on depth to overcome those ailments and any more that arise. The scariest part might be that spring hasn’t even formally begun.