Which Blue Jays could open the season on the injured list?

The beginning of spring training always brings a fresh start. Last season is in the rearview window. Everyone’s undefeated. And, perhaps most importantly, (almost) everyone is healthy. 

The keyword there is almost. While players in spring training don’t have the bumps and bruises that they’ll record over the course of a 162-game season, not every player starts spring training at full health, which can lead to some players starting spring training on the 60-day injured list. 

While the 60-day injured list goes away five days after the World Series, it comes back when pitchers and catchers report to spring training, which, for the Blue Jays, was today. There’s no 15-day injured list during spring training, so the only way to free up a roster spot for an injured player during spring training is by placing them on the 60-day injured list. 

The earliest date a player can be backdated onto the 10-day IL is March 24.

With all that mind, here are some Blue Jays who could begin the year on the mend.

These Blue Jays could start the season on the injured list

Alek Manoah

A one-time All-Star, Manoah underwent Tommy John surgery last June and is hoping to be back by August. Manoah also started last season on the injured list due to right shoulder inflammation from his nightmare 2023 season, and ended up posting a 3.70 ERA in 24 1/3 innings of work last year before he left his start against the White Sox on May 29th due a pinching sensation in his right elbow. 

That sensation ended up being the worst case scenario, as he underwent season-ending surgery on his right ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) not long after.

Manoah posted promising updates from his recovery on social media, and appears to still be on track for a midsummer return. 

The good news for Manoah is that the Blue Jays have a ton of rotation depth, so there won’t be any need for the Blue Jays to rush him back. He could end up returning as a swingman in the bullpen before joining the starting rotation.

Angel Bastardo

Perhaps the most interesting player on the Blue Jays' roster, the Blue Jays selected Bastardo with the 7th pick in last December's Rule 5 draft from the Boston Red Sox. He had a 5.36 ERA in 10 games with Double-A Portland last season before undergoing Tommy John surgery, and won’t be available until the middle of the season at the earliest. 

The Blue Jays signing Bastardo was a Rule 5 masterclass, as teams need to keep Rule 5 players on the roster on their 26-man roster for the season or return them to their original team. But, because Bastardo will be placed on the 60-day IL, things are a bit different for him. 

Bastrado can be placed on the injured list, but he must be active for a minimum of 90 days to avoid being subject to the normal Rule 5 roster rules. That said, the Blue Jays can spread that 90 days across two seasons, so Bastardo could be active for 45 days in 2025 and 45 days in 2026. 

Bastardo had a 4.76 ERA with 357 strikeouts in 327 1/3 innings in the Red Sox minor league system, and would likely serve as a low-leverage bullpen arm when he arrives in Toronto. He has a fastball that can touch 97 mph along with a plus changeup.

Daulton Varsho

Varsho underwent rotator cuff surgery last September after initially suffering a shoulder injury in August. At the time of the injury manager John Schneider said that the injury might “bleed into spring a little bit,” and that seems to be the case, as Schneider said Thursday that Varsho’s timeline for Opening Day is TBD. 

The 28-year-old is a magician with the glove (he’s coming off a Gold Glove season), but the Blue Jays have plenty of players who could handle center field for the time being while he works through his injury. While no one would be able to fully replicate Varsho, they could keep the seat warm for the time being. 

Erik Swanson

Another player who we got more information about on Thursday, Swanson is dealing with some forearm fatigue and may be “a little behind” the rest of the bullpen, which could put his Opening Day status in jeopardy. 

If that’s the case, this would be the second straight season that Swanson started on the injured list, as he missed the first two months of last season with right forearm inflammation before putting up a career-high 5.03 ERA in the regular season. 

If Swanson were to miss any time then the Blue Jays would likely dip into their pitching depth and/or look to bring in a free agent.