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Anthony Santander Anthony Santander Healthy after shoulder/back issues
Tue, Dec 9, 2025, 1:19 PM
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Tuesday that Santander's left shoulder and back "finally feel normal" again, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Santander was limited to only 54 games in 2025 due to a shoulder subluxation and also a nagging lower-back issue. He slashed just .175/.271/.294 in those contests and saw his strikeout rate spike to 27.6 percent. It appears Santander is healthy now, though, and Schneider believes the 31-year-old "is going to be huge for us." Santander split his time between the outfield and designated hitter in 2025 and could do the same in 2026. |
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Yariel Rodriguez Yariel Rodriguez Sticking in bullpen
Mon, Dec 8, 2025, 7:55 PM
Rodriguez will remain a reliever heading into the 2026 season, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: The Blue Jays hope Rodriguez can continue to improve his command out of the bullpen after he excelled in a relief role down the stretch of the 2025 regular season. Free passes became an issue for him during the postseason, issuing four walks in 2.2 frames. Rodriguez was booted from the 40-man roster earlier this month, though he'll have a chance to win his spot back if he puts together a strong spring camp. |
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Shane Bieber Shane Bieber Workload could be eyed this spring
Mon, Dec 8, 2025, 5:40 PM
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Monday that the team could monitor Bieber's workload during spring training, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: Bieber isn't dealing with any known injury, but the Blue Jays will be careful with him in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. The 30-year-old threw a total of 88 innings in 2025 after handling only 12 innings in 2024. Bieber exercised his $16 million player option for 2026 last month to remain with the Blue Jays rather than test the open market. |
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Trey Yesavage Trey Yesavage No hard innings cap in 2026
Mon, Dec 8, 2025, 4:47 PM
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Monday that Yesavage will be in the team's rotation in 2026 and will not have a strict innings limit, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: Between the minors, regular season and postseason, Yesavage threw a total of 139.2 innings in 2025 in his first professional season. While the Blue Jays will no doubt keep an eye on the right-hander's workload, particularly early on in the season, he will not be working with a strict innings cap. Yesavage posted a 3.21 ERA and 16:7 K:BB over 14 regular-season innings and a 3.58 ERA and 39:11 K:BB across 27.2 postseason frames for Toronto. |
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Louis Varland Louis Varland Will remain in bullpen
Mon, Dec 8, 2025, 4:25 PM
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Monday that Varland will remain in a bullpen role in 2026, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: Varland excelled in a full-time move to a relief role in 2025, posting a 2.97 ERA and 75:22 K:BB over 72.2 regular-season innings between the Blue Jays and Twins. The 28-year-old has a career 5.18 ERA over 23 starts at the major-league level, and it does not appear the Blue Jays have interest in giving Varland another chance to start anytime soon. He's likely to begin the 2026 campaign in a setup role. |
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Yariel Rodriguez Yariel Rodriguez Outrighted to Buffalo
Sat, Dec 6, 2025, 1:53 PM
Rodriguez cleared waivers Saturday and was sent outright to Triple-A Buffalo, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: Rodriguez's performance improved considerably upon moving to the bullpen in 2025, as he finished the regular season with a 3.08 ERA and 1.15 WHIP through 73 innings. Despite his strong numbers, he became the roster casualty necessary to make room for Cody Ponce, who signed with the Jays on Tuesday. None of the other 29 clubs were willing to pay Rodriguez the $17 million he's owed over the next three seasons, so the right-hander will remain in the organization without a spot on the 40-man roster and attempt to win it back during spring training. |
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Cody Ponce Cody Ponce Returning to MLB
Tue, Dec 2, 2025, 5:49 PM
Ponce signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Ponce will return to Major League Baseball for the first time since 2021 after playing three seasons in Japan, followed by one year in Korea. He was dominant this past season in the KBO, turning in a 1.89 ERA and 0.94 WHIP across 180.2 innings and taking home the league's MVP award. He'll now join a Blue Jays squad that is putting a clear emphasis on adding rotation talent after also signing Dylan Cease earlier in the offseason. |
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Dylan Cease Dylan Cease Lands with Blue Jays
Wed, Nov 26, 2025, 5:35 PM
Cease signed a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Blue Jays on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Analysis: Cease will join the reigning American League champions and further bolster a rotation that already features Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber and top prospect Trey Yesavage. The 29-year-old Cease was fairly underwhelming this past season, finishing with a 4.55 ERA and 1.33 WHIP across 168 regular-season innings. However, he's made at least 32 starts and struck out more than 210 batters every year since 2021, which helps to keep his fantasy appeal relatively high entering 2026. |
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Rodolfo Castro Rodolfo Castro Grabs NRI from Toronto
Tue, Nov 25, 2025, 8:29 AM
The Blue Jays signed Castro to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training, Ari Alexander of WHDH 7News in Boston reports.
Analysis: Castro spent the 2025 campaign at Triple-A Lehigh Valley in the Phillies organization, slashing .235/.324/.421with 19 homers and 18 steals over 133 contests. The 26-year-old utility infielder last appeared in the majors in 2023 and is likely to begin next season at Triple-A Buffalo. |
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Nick Sandlin Nick Sandlin Removed from 40-man
Sat, Nov 15, 2025, 11:41 AM
Sandlin (elbow) cleared waivers Saturday and was sent outright to Triple-A Buffalo, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: Sandlin was effective in the big leagues in 2025, turning in a 2.20 ERA and 1.16 WHIP across 16.1 regular-season innings with the Jays. However, right elbow inflammation sent him to the injured list in early July, and multiple setbacks in his recovery prevented him from returning. The 28-year-old righty will likely elect free agency and could attract significant attention after posting a 3.19 ERA through his first five MLB seasons. |
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Jeff Hoffman Jeff Hoffman Closer job not guaranteed in 2026
Sat, Nov 8, 2025, 4:44 PM
General manager Ross Atkins said Thursday that the Blue Jays aren't committed to using Hoffman as their primary closer in 2026, Rob Longley of The Toronto Sun reports.
Analysis: Although he finished 2025 with a career-high 33 saves, Hoffman's first year in Toronto was met with struggles. He posted a 4.37 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 68 innings during the regular season and, most notably, blew a save during Game 7 of the World Series. Atkins brought up Yimi Garcia (elbow) and Louis Varland as potential options to work the ninth inning next season instead of Hoffman and didn't rule out the possibility of acquiring someone in the offseason to fill the role. |
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Robinson Pina Robinson Pina Activated, then outrighted
Thu, Nov 6, 2025, 12:03 PM
The Blue Jays activated Pina (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Thursday and outrighted him to Triple-A Buffalo.
Analysis: Pina was recalled and immediately placed on the 60-day IL with a UCL sprain in September as a means to free up a spot on the 40-man roster. The righty did not require surgery and could be ready for spring training, but it would now be as a non-roster invitee. |
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Shane Bieber Shane Bieber Staying in Toronto
Tue, Nov 4, 2025, 9:15 PM
Bieber exercised his $16 million player option for 2026 on Tuesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Analysis: After falling just one game short of capturing his first World Series title, Bieber will opt into another year with the Blue Jays and receive a $6 million raise in the process. The 30-year-old right-hander missed the first several months of the 2025 season while working his way back from Tommy John surgery but returned in time to make seven regular-season starts and post a 3.57 ERA across 40.1 innings. It remains to be seen how his surgically repaired elbow will hold up over the course of a full season, but the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner is still deserving of fantasy attention heading into 2026. |
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Alejandro Kirk Alejandro Kirk In lineup for Game 7
Sat, Nov 1, 2025, 2:42 PM
Kirk (hand) will start at catcher and bat sixth Saturday in Game 7 of the World Series against the Dodgers.
Analysis: Kirk made an early exit from Game 6 on Friday after getting hit on his left hand by a pitch. X-rays on his hand came back negative shortly after the game, and he'll officially remain in the starting nine for the final game of the World Series. Kirk has slashed .265/.361/.482 with five homers, 13 RBI and 13 runs scored across 77 plate appearances this postseason. |
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Alejandro Kirk Alejandro Kirk Headed for X-rays
Fri, Oct 31, 2025, 10:47 PM
Kirk will undergo X-rays on his left hand after getting hit by a pitch in Game 6 of the World Series on Friday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Kirk took an 85-mph splitter off his hand in the ninth inning of Friday's contest and was immediately replaced on the bases by a pinch runner. The Jays are optimistic that the 26-year-old backstop avoided a significant injury, but they'll send him in for imaging as a precaution. If Kirk is unable to start in the final game of the World Series on Saturday, Tyler Heineman would get the nod at catcher. |
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Max Scherzer Max Scherzer Would start potential Game 7
Fri, Oct 31, 2025, 3:27 PM
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Friday that Scherzer would start a potential Game 7 of the World Series on Saturday versus the Dodgers, Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun reports.
Analysis: The Blue Jays are hoping to close things out with a win Friday in Game 6, but if that doesn't happen, they'll turn to the 41-year-old Saturday. Scherzer was charged with three runs over 4.1 frames in Game 3, taking a no-decision in Toronto's extra-innings loss. It would be an all-hands-on-deck situation for the Blue Jays if there is a Game 7, so Scherzer's leash would be short. |
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Bo Bichette Bo Bichette Not anticipating knee surgery
Fri, Oct 31, 2025, 3:17 PM
Bichette said Friday that he does not expect to require surgery this offseason to repair a PCL sprain in his left knee, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: Bichette was diagnosed with a sprained knee in early September and missed seven weeks of action before rejoining the Blue Jays' roster for the World Series. He has been noticeably gimpy, but Bichette expects his knee injury to heal with rest. The impending free agent slashed .311/.357/.483 over 139 regular-season games and is 5-for-16 at the plate so far in the World Series. |
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George Springer George Springer Back in lineup for Game 6
Fri, Oct 31, 2025, 2:34 PM
Springer (side) will bat leadoff and serve as the designated hitter in Friday's World Series Game 6 against the Dodgers.
Analysis: Springer did not play in Games 4 or 5 after exiting Game 3 with discomfort in his right side, but he's improved enough to give it a go as the Fall Classic moves back to Toronto. The 36-year-old Springer has an .884 OPS with four home runs over 14 contest this postseason. |
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George Springer George Springer Likely to return for Game 6
Thu, Oct 30, 2025, 4:47 PM
Manager John Schneider said Thursday that there's a strong chance Springer (side) returns to the starting lineup in Game 6 of the World Series on Friday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: Toronto's skipper added that Springer has "checked every box physically so far" and nearly returned to the lineup in Game 5, but the Jays instead opted to give the outfielder another day to recover. His return to the lineup after a two-game absence would provide Toronto's offense with a significant power boost, as the 36-year-old has posted a .561 slugging percentage across 65 plate appearances in the postseason. |
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Trey Yesavage Trey Yesavage Historic performance in Game 5
Wed, Oct 29, 2025, 11:23 PM
Yesavage picked up the win in Game 5 of the World Series against the Dodgers on Wednesday, allowing one earned run on three hits and zero walks while striking out 12 batters in seven innings.
Analysis: Outside of the third-inning solo homer he gave up to Enrique Hernandez, Yesavage's performance Wednesday was nothing short of brilliant versus one of baseball's most dynamic offenses. The 22-year-old righty pounded the strike zone often, throwing 71 of his 104 pitches for strikes, and by doing so, he finished the night with a dozen punchouts -- the most any rookie has had in a World Series game. Now carrying a 3.46 ERA in the postseason, Yesavage is done starting games in 2025, but he's expected to be available out of the bullpen if the series goes to Game 7. |
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