Blue Jays' Top Prospect to Start Season on IL With Shoulder Impingement

Toronto fans are getting used to hearing injury updates this spring

Mar 6, 2021; Dunedin, Florida, USA; A detailed view of the Toronto Blue Jays logo on a building at TD Ballpark during the spring training game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays are set to begin the 2026 season without their top prospect.

Toronto manager John Schneider announced on Thursday that right-handed pitcher Trey Yesavage, MLB Pipeline's No. 12 overall prospect for 2026, will start the year on the injured list due to a right shoulder impingement. The Blue Jays don't plan on completely shutting down Yesavage's throwing program, according to MLB.com's Keegan Matheson. But it's unclear when Toronto fans should expect to see the 22-year-old make his first start of the regular season.

The 2024 first-round draft pick burst onto the scene last year, climbing all the way up from Single-A Dunedin to the majors, where he was a big part of the Blue Jays' push for the World Series. In his first season of professional baseball, Yesavage threw 139 2/3 innings across the minors, the major league regular season, and the playoffs in 2025. But now, Toronto fans will have to patiently wait to see the 6-foot-4 righty back on a big league mound.

What does Toronto's rotation look like without Trey Yesavage to start 2026?

Oct 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage (39) celebrates after a double play during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Unfortunately for Blue Jays fans, Yesavage isn't Toronto's only injured pitcher heading into the 2026 season. José Berríos has a stress fracture in his right elbow, while Shane Bieber is dealing with forearm fatigue. Yesavage, Berríos, and Bieber are all expected to begin the season on the IL.

As a result, Toronto is now projected to enter the upcoming campaign with a rotation featuring Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Max Scherzer, Cody Ponce, and Eric Lauer. Cease was already considered one of the biggest moves of the offseason after signing a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Blue Jays in December. Now, after factoring in these other injuries to Toronto's rotation, that acquisition seems even more important for the Blue Jays in the short term.

Ponce is another interesting name to keep an eye on in the Blue Jays' projected pitching staff. The 31-year-old last pitched in the majors in 2021, but he's coming off a season in South Korea's KBO League where he had 252 strikeouts in 180 2/3 innings and won the league's equivalent of the Cy Young Award. Depending on how he pitches in his return to the big leagues, Ponce could be another valuable addition for Toronto, especially now that Yesavage is on the shelf for the start of the season.