Blue Jays' Santander needs labrum surgery, out 5-6 months

The Toronto Blue Jays will begin their defense of the American League championship without some important pieces.

Manager John Schneider announced Tuesday that outfielder Anthony Santander needs left labral surgery and will miss five-to-six months. The procedure is scheduled for Wednesday.

Schneider also revealed that former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber is dealing with forearm fatigue and won't be ready for Opening Day. Additionally, right-hander Bowden Francis is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament and will miss the entire 2026 season.

Santander, who battled shoulder injuries last campaign, apparently suffered a setback last month.

"He was resting and rehabbing in November and December, then he kind of had a setback when he started ramping up with his hitting earlier in January," Schneider said, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com.

"He came over to the complex, got checked out, and did everything we could to avoid this. At this point, after what we dealt with last year and in talking with Tony, this is the best possible way to get him back to 100%. This is unfortunate timing, obviously."

Santander joined the Blue Jays last winter on a five-year, $92.5-million deal, but his shoulder issues limited him to 54 regular-season games in 2025. The 31-year-old returned for the playoffs but was removed from the postseason roster during the ALCS after sustaining a back injury.

Before this latest issue, Santander was projected to be the Blue Jays' primary left fielder this year. With his extended absence, Nathan Lukes and Davis Schneider will have opportunities to platoon in left, while Addison Barger is set to play every day in right. The team still plans for George Springer to be the primary designated hitter, with occasional starts in right field when needed, Schneider said.

Meanwhile, offseason addition Kazuma Okamoto will now be Toronto's primary third baseman for at least the start of 2026. Known for his versatility, Okamoto was expected to get starts at third, first, and in the corner outfield before Tuesday's developments.

Bieber has been able to play catch and was described by Schneider as feeling good overall, according to Nicholson-Smith. However, the skipper noted that an offseason MRI revealed enough extra forearm fatigue to delay his ramp-up until early in the regular season.

The 30-year-old right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2024. Toronto acquired Bieber from Cleveland at last year's trade deadline while he was still on a rehab assignment. He ended up making seven regular-season starts down the stretch of 2025, plus another five appearances (four starts) in the playoffs.

Bieber surprised many around baseball when he exercised his $16-million player option to return to Toronto early in the offseason.

With Bieber out for at least the start of 2026, Schneider said Eric Lauer will be stretched out as a starter. The left-hander was a key arm for the team in 2025, pitching in multiple roles and making 15 starts.

Lauer joins a potential rotation that includes Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce, and José Berríos, who missed the team's playoff run due to injury.

Francis, 29, put up a 6.05 ERA over 14 starts last year before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in June. He was projected to serve as rotation depth in 2026.