Blue Jays depth relievers plagued by spring training injuries

Bo Schultz became the third Blue Jays reliever to succumb to a significant injury this spring, one that will see the reliever shelved for 12-18 months as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

News broke in Blue Jays camp on Tuesday that pitcher Bo Schultz was on his way to New York to have his elbow examined. The optimistic prognosis was Schultz would have bone chips removed however, his worst nightmare became a reality. The 31-year who had a legitimate shot at breaking camp with the big club underwent Tommy John surgery on his elbow yesterday.

The reliever is the third bullpen injury of the spring as on the bubble hurlers T.J. House and Glenn Sparkman both had their camps derailed earlier in the spring due to injury.

House was involved in a scary incident that saw the pitcher struck on the side of the head with a line-drive off the bat of Detroit Tigers’ John Hicks. House who was released from the hospital the following day has been making progress in his recovery but no timetable has been set for a possible return.

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Rule-5 pick Glenn Sparkman suffered a broken bone in his right thumb earlier in the spring during fielding drills. Sparkman was vying for a repeat success story in the Jays bullpen much like what occurred for his fellow Rule-5 pick Joe Biagini last season. There is no indication what the future holds for Sparkman once he is eligible to return as the Blue Jays have to either keep him on the 25-man roster or offer him back to his former club.

Aside from the three serious injuries, Aaron Sanchez is battling a blister issue and Roberto Osuna had a stiff neck due to sleeping issues last week. All in all the Blue Jays have escaped spring training unscathed from a serious injury that would affect their day-to-day lineup.

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Although Schultz, House, and Sparkman were primarily depth pieces, they were arms the Blue Jays had intended on using at some point in 2017. You can never have enough pitching depth especially in the American League East.