On Monday, the Toronto Blue Jays added an extra bat to their lineup by acquiring infielder Lenyn Sosa in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. But to fully acquire him, Toronto needed to open a spot on their roster.
To do so, the Blue Jays have moved pitcher Shane Bieber to the 60-day injured list, the team announced. Bieber is working his way back from a bout of elbow inflammation.
Moving the right-hander to the 60-day IL means Blue jays fans will need to wait a little longer before seeing Bieber make his 2026 debut. However, he didn’t seem likely to be making his return anytime soon. Bieber has been able to throw bullpen sessions, but he is yet to face live hitters. His IL move was more of a formality than anything else. Toronto will still be tracking him intently to see when a return may come to fruition.
Injuries have been no strangers to the right-hander, as he has appeared in just nine regular season games over the last two years. When healthy though, Bieber has been solid. Over his first seven starts with Toronto, the righty put up a 3.57 ERA and a 37/7 K/BB ratio. He followed that up by posting a 3.86 ERA and 18/6 K/BB ratio over 18.2 playoff innings.
The Blue Jays know Bieber can be a potent option in their pitching rotation when healthy. He is a former Cy Young winner after all. However, they are still opting to be cautious with the veteran. The last thing they want is Bieber to risk re-injuring himself.
On Monday, the Toronto Blue Jays added an extra bat to their lineup by acquiring infielder Lenyn Sosa in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. But to fully acquire him, Toronto needed to open a spot on their roster. To do so, the Blue Jays have moved pitcher Shane Bieber to the 60-day injured list, the team announced.