Toronto Blue Jays

Jesus Sanchez

RF

Sanchez went 1-for-2 with a base hit before leaving the game midway through the bottom of the sixth, when he appeared to be hit by a ball thrown into the field of play by fan. Fortunately for Sanchez, precautionary X-rays came back negative, and he'll get an extra day to rest up and recover before the Blue Jays return to action Tuesday in Atlanta. Yohendrick Pinango replaced Sanchez in right field during Sunday's contest and would likely be the top choice to start Tuesday if Sanchez isn't ready to play.

Dylan Cease

SP

Cease landed on the 15-day IL on Monday, so it's promising that he's already throwing a bullpen five days later. The hurler has been optimistic that he'll be able to return to the Blue Jays' rotation when first eligible, and a successful BP on Saturday would be a big step toward making that a reality. Depending on how the bullpen goes, Cease's next step could be either another BP or facing hitters, per Zwelling.

Alejandro Kirk

C

Kirk has been sidelined since April 4 and is currently on the 60-day IL. He's probably still at least a week away from beginning a minor-league rehab assignment, so the backstop doesn't seem likely to be activated until mid-June, at the earliest. Brandon Valenzuela and Tyler Heineman have been handling catching duties for the Blue Jays while Kirk has been out of action.

Addison Barger

RF

Zwelling describes Barger's hitting sessions as "flips, tee work, etc." The slugger has missed most of the season to this point, first due to an IL stay following an ankle injury and then due to his current elbow issue. While Barger seems to be making progress in his recovery from the latter injury, he may require a minor-league rehab assignment before he's ready to be activated.

Joe Mantiply

RP

Mantiply was originally expected to start up a throwing program soon, but after receiving a second opinion on his knee, he decided the best path forward would be to undergo a cleanup procedure. An updated timeline for his return will likely be available after he goes under the knife, but manager John Schneider said the operation won't force the southpaw to miss the rest of the season.

Lazaro Estrada

RP

Estrada has been on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement since early April, and although it's unknown how far away he is from returning, he'll have to remain on the shelf until at least June 4 now that he's on the 60-day IL. He'll also give up his place on the 40-man roster for Charles McAdoo, who was selected from Triple-A Buffalo in a corresponding move.

Lenyn Sosa

2B

Sosa kicked off the scoring for Toronto with a 415-foot solo shot in the second inning. He added another RBI on an infield single in the eighth. The long ball was Sosa's first of the season in his 24th game after he went deep 22 times across 140 contests with the White Sox last year. Overall, he's slashing a modest .257/.254/.386 and has yet to take a walk over 72 plate appearances on the campaign, but he may be heating up after going 5-for-9 across his past two games.

Jose Berrios

SP

The Blue Jays and Berrios went into the operation unsure whether the pitcher would require a ligament repair, and as it turns out he required a full UCL procedure. Berrios has been sidelined all season with elbow problems and will now likely be shelved until at least the second half of the 2027 campaign.

Yimi Garcia

RP

Garcia hasn't pitched in the big leagues yet this season after undergoing a cleanup procedure on his elbow last September. He was sent out on a rehab assignment earlier this month but experienced a setback after just one outing. Garcia threw 30 pitches in Friday's bullpen and will look to avoid further issues, as he eyes a return to Toronto's staff as soon as next week.

Tommy Nance

RP

Nance can begin throwing again later in the week to work through his forearm discomfort. The right-hander has been a valuable piece for the Toronto bullpen with a 1.99 ERA in 30 regular-season appearances in 2025 and a 3.86 across 20 appearances in 2026.

Fernando Perez

P

Geovanny Jesus Planchart

C

no

Chay Yeager

RP

The timing of the procedure points to a possible late start to the 2027 season, as well, though that could depend on whether the reliever needs a full Tommy John repair of the less invasive internal brace surgery. Yeager collected a 2.75 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 64 strikeouts and five saves in 55.2 innings across High-A and Double-A in 2025.

Anthony Santander

RF

The move was fully expected at some point in 2026 after Santander underwent shoulder surgery in February. The veteran outfielder could return later in the season, though he's almost certain to be out at least through the All-Star break. The Blue Jays opened up a spot on their 40-man roster, which will likely to used to bolster an injury-depleted pitching staff.

CJ Stubbs

C

Stubbs made his major-league debut in 2025 with the Nationals, going hitless in three plate appearances. The 29-year-old will merely be organizational catching depth for the Blue Jays at Triple-A Buffalo.

Javen Coleman

P

no

Cody Ponce

SP

Ponce sprained his right ACL in late March, which was a severe enough injury to require season-ending surgery, but he should be available for the start of spring training. He signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Blue Jays in December after spending three seasons in Japan. Ponce's start against the Rockies on March 30 -- when he suffered his injury -- was his first appearance in an MLB game since 2021, when he played with the Pirates.

Bowden Francis

SP

Francis will miss the entire 2026 season after the Blue Jays recently revealed that he would need reconstructive surgery on his right elbow, so his move to the 60-day IL was merely procedural. The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for infielder Ben Cowles, whom the Blue Jays claimed off waivers from the Cubs.

Shane Bieber

SP

After tossing two scoreless innings in his first rehab start last Monday in the rookie-level Florida Complex League, Bieber jumped up a level for his second minor-league appearance. While Bieber ended up taking a step back from a results standpoint, he was at least able to push his pitch count up to 49 and while inducing nine swings and misses on his 35 strikes. The right-hander also averaged 92.1 mph with his fastball, a half-tick behind his average from the 2025 season. While he continues to work his way back from inflammation in his surgically repaired elbow, Bieber will likely need to build up to around 70-to-80 pitches in the minors before getting cleared to make his 2026 debut for Toronto. He looks to be trending toward a return from the 60-day injured list in the second half of June.

Max Scherzer

SP

Making his first start at any level since April 24 after landing on the shelf due to right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation, Scherzer delivered an encouraging performance. He tossed 41 pitches (24 strikes) in the outing and induced seven whiffs on the afternoon while averaging 93.3 mph with his fastball. Though Scherzer is lined up for the open spot in the Toronto rotation for next weekend's series versus the Orioles, the Blue Jays may want to see him build up his pitch count over one more minor-league start before bringing him back from the 15-day injured list.