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Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander will miss much of the 2026 Major League Baseball season as a result of surgery, team officials said Tuesday.
Jays manager John Schneider told reporters that Santander will undergo left labral surgery on Wednesday and then “be out for approximately five to six months.”
Schneider said the hope is for Santander to be back “as soon as he can,” to help the team down the stretch, in the second half of the season.
The switch-hitting Santander signed a five-year, $92.5-million US deal to play with the Blue Jays, ahead of the 2025 season.
Injuries kept the 31-year-old off the field for much of 2025, though he did appear in 54 regular season games and five post-season games for Toronto.
Toronto has a surplus of capable outfielders at the moment, some of whom are likely to see increased playing time while Santander is out.
“I think it kind of opens the door for a lot of guys,” Schneider said when asked about the impact that Santander’s injury would have on the makeup of the outfield.
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said the organization felt “prepared to handle setbacks.”
Schneider also broke the news Tuesday that pitcher Bowden Francis will undergo UCL reconstruction surgery on Wednesday, and will miss the entire 2026 season as a result.
The 29-year-old Francis started 14 games for the Blue Jays in 2025, and 13 the year before. He’s also pitched out of the bullpen.
Bieber to delay ramp up for season
The Jays’ skipper also had an update on starting pitcher Shane Bieber, who will see a delayed start to ramping up for the season, after experiencing “right forearm fatigue.”
“He won’t be ready to start the season, but we feel like he’s going to be a significant contributor to us this year,” said Schneider, who said the team was being “extra cautious” with Bieber, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024.
The 30-year-old Bieber is a former Cy Young winner who joined the Blue Jays under a deal made at the trade deadline last year. He elected to exercise a $16-million US contract option to stay with the team in 2026 and forgo free agency.
When he is game-ready, Bieber would presumably be one of the key arms in Toronto’s starting rotation, alongside Kevin Gausman and the newly signed Dylan Cease.
Playoff sensation Trey Yesavage will also be vying for a spot in that rotation, as will veteran José Berrios, the flexible starter-or-reliever Eric Lauer and Cody Ponce, who also joined the Blue Jays during the off-season.
This year marks the Jays’ 50th season in Major League Baseball. The team faces high expectations from fans, after coming close to winning the World Series last fall.
Toronto has brought in some new faces — pitchers Cease and Ponce among them — to try to push toward another World Series berth.
But the team has also had some departures, including infielders Bo Bichette and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, as well as reliever Seranthony Domínguez.
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