The Toronto Blue Jays have been dealt a tough blow to their farm system with the injury status of one of their emerging young pitchers.
Just one day after a concerning update surrounding 23-year-old right-hander Chay Yeager and him experiencing right elbow discomfort, Arden Zwelling of SportsNet is reporting that he is now having UCL surgery on Wednesday and will miss the entire 2026 season.
The update surrounding Yeager comes on the heels of his invitation to spring training, and though he was not likely to make his big league debut this year, it certainly seemed like Toronto had found a gem in him with the way he performed last year.
Blue Jays Lose Valuable Depth in Yeager
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Yeager played both in High-A and Double-A in 2025 and while the numbers were not all that great for the former 12th round selection after promotion, he certainly was carving up hitters while pitching for Vancouver.
In 25 bullpen appearances there, he had a 1.77 ERA and 0.785 WHIP with 43 strikeouts in 35.2 innings pitched before getting knocked around a bit more in his final 17 appearances in Double-A. While he may not have been knocking on the door of an Opening Day roster spot, it certainly did seem like he may be a diamond in the rough after being drafted in 2023.
While this still could very much be the case, Yeager now loses a full year of development and his eventual debut for Toronto if he is able to make the big leagues is pushed back until likely late 2027 or 2028 in a best case scenario.
Blue Jays Will Be Fine in Bullpen This Year
Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Though losing Yeager for the foreseeable future stings, Toronto does not have any shortage of intriguing options in the bullpen as they look to get back to the World Series.
Had Yeager found his way into the unit this year, it likely would have meant he was either putting up absurd numbers no one saw coming, or something had gone terribly wrong in terms of the other depth on the team.
With a 3.97 ERA over 90 appearances in the minor leagues and numbers that were trending in the right direction last season, Yeager is an experienced pro who was on track to make his debut at some point in the near future.
His recovery will be worth monitoring over the next year or so to see if he can get back on track.