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(Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
The Toronto Blue Jays are in a competitive AL East, and a strong start will go a long way toward determining who wins the division at the end of the 2026 MLB season. Nonetheless, the Blue Jays aren’t taking any risk with Shane Bieber.
Bieber will start the season on the 15-day injured list, manager John Schneider told reporters on Feb. 10. The Blue Jays pitcher missed most of the 2023-24 season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
He experienced some elbow soreness last summer but was healthy enough to pitch during the stretch run and through the playoffs. As a result, Schneider and Co. are taking a cautious stance with the player.
“[Bieber’s] here, he’s feeling good and he’s playing catch out to 90 feet,“ Schneider said (h/t Keegan Matheson of MLB.com). “We’re being cautious by saying not [pitching] at the beginning of the year and we’ll work through it with Shane. We’ll go week-to-week with him and see how it’s going.
“No procedures or anything in the offseason, it’s just a high-level pitcher coming off Tommy John and pitching longer than he probably expected in some really high-stress outings. We’re just taking a really, really cautious approach with him.”
Bieber, who was traded midseason from the Cleveland Guardians to the Blue Jays on July 31, 2025, posted a 4-2 record with an ERA of 3.57 and 37 strikeouts in 7 appearances for Toronto last season, per StatMuse.
Blue Jays’ José Berríos Ready to Bounce Back in 2026
While Toronto takes a cautious approach with Bieber, another starting pitcher is healthy and ready for a bounce-back season: José Berríos. MLB insider Jon Morosi shared the latest regarding the Blue Jays player and his outlook in the team’s starting rotation as the 2026 season nears.
“The idea right now, José Berríos is ready to go for the start of spring training,“ Morosi said on MLB Network on Feb. 9. “I was told just today no restrictions on him from a standpoint of his health to get ready for the Blue Jays. The only question is, will there be a rotation spot?
“If he has a solid beginning to spring and is able to start the year healthy, I have to expect that he does have a claim on a rotation spot, especially when you consider the Jays likely don’t have [Trey] Yesavage penciled in for 180 or 190 innings, especially when you consider where Yesavage’s workload has been in the past.”
José Berríos Predicted to Be in Toronto’s Starting Rotation
Moreover, the World Baseball Classic announced on Feb. 10 that Berríos was among the players added to the Designated Pitcher Pool (DPP) for Team Puerto Rico.
Whether Berríos is pitching for Team Puerto Rico or the Blue Jays in spring training, Morosi gave the veteran starting pitcher a promising outlook to start the 2026 campaign.
“The key news for the Jays, unlike the end of last season, is Berríos is healthy and ready to go,“ Morosi added. “My analysis here: If he has a solid spring for the Jays or Team Puerto Rico, he’ll be in the rotation when the regular season begins.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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