The outset of Spring Training is not treating the defending American League champions kindly.
Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander is expected to undergo surgery for the labrum in his left shoulder and miss the next five to six months, manager John Schneider told reporters in Dunedin, Fla., on Tuesday.
On top of that, Schneider said right-handed pitcher Bowden Francis will miss the entire season with ulnar collateral ligament surgery.
Fellow righty Shane Bieber is expected to start the regular season on the injured list with right forearm fatigue.
Santander, 31, was one of the big prizes of the Blue Jays’ 2025 offseason when he inked a five-year, $92.5 million contract.
But thanks to a left shoulder issue, Santander was limited to just 54 games and hit .175/.271/.294 with just six home runs.
He contributed three hits over five playoff games but was removed from the Blue Jays’ roster during the American League Championship Series when a back injury forced him off the field.
A 2024 All-Star with the Orioles, Santander, at his best, is one of the better switch-hitters in the game. During his final three-year stretch (2022-24) with Baltimore, he clubbed 105 home runs with a 124 OPS+ and averaged over 153 games per season.
As for the pitching side, Francis emerged on the scene in 2024 with a 3.30 ERA over 103 2/3 innings as both a starter and reliever. Notably, he had two starts in which he lost no-hitters in the ninth inning.
But 2025 proved not to bear the same success, as he held a 6.05 ERA before landing on the IL in June with a shoulder impingement. He did not pitch in the World Series run.
Bieber, who opted into his $16 million deal for 2026, made 11 starts for Toronto down the stretch after a trade from the Guardians, including four during the playoffs.
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