Which Blue Jays players will hit the 60-day IL once Spring Training begins?

As Spring Training is just days away from now, excitement is at an all-time high as we are finally getting close to the moment we've all been waiting for: live baseball games.

Once Spring Training begins, any players around the league who have long-term injuries can at last be placed on the 60-man injured list, effectively removing them from the 40-man roster to open up possibilities elsewhere on the team.

For the Blue Jays specifically, two players - both pitchers - fall into this category thanks to them both recovering from the fearsome and dreaded Tommy John surgery.

Hyun Jin Ryu

It's been a while since we've seen Ryu on a big league mound. After making just six poor starts last season, the 35-year-old veteran went down with an injury in June that he never returned from for the remainder of the season.

Tommy John surgery typically requires a 12-16 month recovery time on a good day. Ryu is said to be doing everything he can as far as rehabilitation goes, to be ready by the All-Star break this season.

There are, of course, a few major question marks here. First, have we already seen the last of him in a Jays uniform? Tommy John is notorious for having setbacks pop up and keep players on the shelf for longer than anticipiated. As difficult as it is to say, there's no guarantee he even makes it back at all this season. Since he is an upcoming free agent, Ryu could very well have thrown his last innings as a Blue Jay.

The second question is, if he returns, will he be any good? That's always a concern with players recovering from such a procedure. Yes, there are an increasing amount of success stories around the league with players returning from missing full seasons to dominate on the mound, so for now, let's just hope Ryu falls into that category.

Chad Green

Green, 31, appeared in 14 contests for the Yankees last season before he too went down with right forearm discomfort which is always an ominous diagnosis.

Days later, he went under the knife and had a successful Tommy John surgery, just like Ryu before him. With this same recovery time in mind, Green could also realistically make it back on a big league mound around the All-Star break.

There's been little in the way of updates on Green as he recovers, but there's reason to believe that his return to the mound will go smoother than Ryu's, thanks mainly in part to his being a reliever so he will not be relied on to throw 80, 90, 100+ pitches on any given day.

Green has been a reliable reliever ever since he broke into the bigs back in 2016. His role on the Blue Jays will be an important one, so here's to a fast and easy recovery for both him and Ryu.