Toronto Blue Jays pitching staff takes another hit with Joe Mantiply slated for surgery

The Toronto Blue Jays are dealing with more bad injury news, with veteran reliever Joe Mantiply set to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his ailing left knee. 

Blue Jays manager John Schneider described it as a procedure to clean up some damage that isn’t expected to be season-ending when speaking to reporters on Thursday. A date for the operation has yet to be set, and Mantiply remains without a firm recovery timeline.

Mantiply initially landed on the injured list on May 19th with what the team described as knee inflammation. 

What does Mantiply’s absence mean for the Blue Jays moving forward?

Losing Mantiply for an extended period is another blow to a Blue Jays pitching staff that has been ravaged by injuries in 2026. Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, Cody Ponce, and José Berríos remain sidelined on the starting pitching side, while Mantiply is one of three injured relievers alongside Yimi García and Tommy Nance. 

Mantiply had emerged as a pleasant surprise for the Blue Jays, working to a 2.04 ERA and 2.84 FIP across 17 appearances before getting hurt. He was pitching his best baseball since being named an All-Star in 2022 as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

He had carved out a clear role as the second lefty in the bullpen behind Mason Fluharty following Brendon Little’s demotion to Triple-A Buffalo. That job now belongs to rookie Adam Macko, who is likely to receive an extended run with the team now if he continues to pitch well. 

The young Canadian has not allowed a run through his first seven appearances as a Blue Jay, striking out five across six innings. Only time will tell whether he can continue to keep runs off the board and perform in big spots. 

The Blue Jays will almost certainly be in the market for another left-handed reliever now if they weren’t already. Their current bullpen group has performed well despite the injuries, but is extremely right-hand-dominant and lacks a shutdown southpaw. Fluharty profiles better as a second option despite having delivered in some big moments. 

Unfortunately, a deal isn’t likely to materialize until much closer to the trade deadline, given how long the current playoff format keeps most teams in contention. Mantiply might be healthy by the time any teams are willing to waive the white flag on their season and pull the trigger on a sell-off trade. 

The Blue Jays will have to make do with what they have in the meantime. Getting the likes of Cease, Bieber, and Scherzer back will alleviate some of the stress on the bullpen. Macko continuing to perform will also help make this situation manageable. 

As for Mantiply, the Blue Jays will be eager to get him back whenever he is fully recovered from this knee surgery—he was quietly putting together a great season. 

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