The Blue Jays are in the final stretch of the 2026 regular season, and the injury picture remains as crowded as ever. Toronto still has 13 players on the sidelines, a list that has included more than a few names the club was counting on to matter this year.
Even so, the door is still open for a late push, and a handful of injured Blue Jays could still factor in before the season ends.
Shane Bieber is one of the clearest possibilities. He has been out since August 21 with right teres major inflammation, but he has kept throwing on flat ground and is expected to get back on the mound this week.
Trey Yesavage also has a path back if everything continues to go smoothly. He had left meniscus surgery on August 11, then followed that up with a 23-pitch bull session without any issues. He is scheduled to throw again on September 7, and if that goes well, the next step would be facing hitters on September 10.
Anthony Santander’s season has already been wiped out by left shoulder labral surgery, but he may be nearing game action at last. A rehab assignment could begin around September 10, which would at least leave a window for a very late return.
Luis Urias, though, is a different story. He hit a setback while trying to come back from a right quad strain, so his rehab is now on hold and the timeline is unclear.
Jameson Taillon’s situation looks especially shaky. He came off the IL on September 4 and went right back to the mound, only to exit after two innings with left elbow discomfort. Toronto placed him back on the IL the next day, and MRI results will decide whether he can return, though the outlook does not look promising.
Jonatan Clase is still dealing with left foot discomfort after originally landing on the IL with plantar fasciitis in July, and there is no firm return date for him. Patrick Corbin has been out since July with a left teres major strain, and the Blue Jays still have not put a timeline on his recovery.
For several others, the season is already over and the focus has shifted to 2027.
Yimi Garcia is dealing with thoracic outlet syndrome and is not expected back until 2027. Jake Bloss is out for the rest of the season with a teres major strain.
Addison Barger had right elbow surgery in July and was given a six-month recovery timeline. Jose Berrios underwent Tommy John surgery in May and will remain sidelined until sometime in late 2027.
Cody Ponce needed surgery to repair a right knee ACL sprain. Bowden Francis will not pitch again this year after UCL reconstruction surgery.
Toronto is not going to get all the way back to full strength before the regular season ends. But it does not have to. If Bieber and Yesavage can return, and if Santander can follow them, that would give the Blue Jays a badly needed boost at exactly the right time.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Already Look Smarter For Moving On From This Prospect
Torontos decision to move on from Leo Jimnez has looked better with time, especially after the former Blue Jays prospect was designated for assignment and then released by the Miami Marlins in 2026. Jimnez never found much traction offensively in Miami, where his bat stayed quiet over 66 games and the expected infield depth never really materialized into production.
The Blue Jays, meanwhile, already have something tangible to point to from that deal after sending Jimnez to Miami earlier in the year for infielder Dub Gleed and international bonus money. It is the kind of trade that can look minor in the moment, but it has given Toronto a cleaner long-term return while Jimnezs path has grown more uncertain. [Read more 🡒]
Former Blue Jays Coach Is Suddenly Tied To Arizonas Biggest Mess
Arizonas latest clubhouse mess has put the spotlight on a familiar name for Blue Jays fans in Torey Lovullo, the former Toronto coach who now finds himself attached to a far different kind of headline. The Diamondbacks are trying to navigate the controversy around Ketel Marte, who landed on the injured list after a no-show incident and was later seen at a casino during his absence, a sequence that has only deepened the scrutiny on the organization.
For Lovullo, the timing matters because the noise around Marte is colliding with bigger questions about where the franchise is headed next. Reports have suggested the Diamondbacks could eventually move on after the 2026 season, when his contract expires, and rival executives and scouts are already watching for offseason changes if the club decides it needs a reset in how it handles these repeated absences. [Read more 🡒]
Brett Bateman Is Creating A Blue Jays Debate They Can't Ignore
Brett Batemans first stretch with the Blue Jays has forced a conversation the club probably did not expect to be having this soon. Since his debut, he has piled up 1.2 fWAR in just 24 games, a pace that would look outrageous over a full season, and on a per-game basis he has been more valuable than any other Toronto player in 2026. For a team trying to sort out its daily lineup and maximize every edge, that kind of all-around impact is hard to shrug off.
What makes Batemans case especially interesting is how he is doing it without the usual power numbers grabbing the spotlight. He has been better than Daulton Varsho, the player he replaced, because his value has come from the less glamorous parts of the game, with defense and baserunning driving his production. Even without a home run to his name, he has given the Blue Jays a reason to keep asking whether what theyre seeing is a hot start or something closer to a new standard. [Read more 🡒]
