As Opening Day comes closer, the Toronto Blue Jays’ injury list lengthens. Despite a revamped roster ready to contend for the World Series, things are getting worse.

A key rotation piece for the Blue Jays, Trey Yesavage has suffered from a shoulder impingement, reported Keegan Matheson of MLB.com.

Matheson took to X to reveal, “News: Trey Yesavage will open the season on the IL with a right shoulder impingement. #BlueJays.”

Yesavage became the rookie sensation for the Blue Jays last year.

He progressed from the minor leagues for his MLB debut in September 2025. Following his three regular-season starts, the 22-year-old moved on to pitch in the postseason. During the Blue Jays’ postseason run, he went 3-1, logging 27.2 innings with a 3.58 ERA in five starts.

The rookie became a hero in the World Series, especially with his historic Game 5 appearance.

He became the first pitcher in MLB to register 12 strikeouts with zero walks in a single World Series game. He also achieved the rare feat of a “pitcher’s cycle” by striking out every Dodgers’ batter once.

Yesavage has not yet pitched in the Grapefruit League in 2026. He pitched a total of 41.2 innings during his rapid progress in 2025. So, his buildup has been slow till now to balance the workload he shouldered last season.

Per MLB.com, he threw 35 pitches over two innings against the Minor Leaguers this week.

Schneider has revealed, “Right now, (he’s) feeling good. He’s in a better place now to continue to ramp up. So he’s going to continue on the program he’s been on, but will open the season on the IL.”

Yesavage’s injury update comes right after starter José Berríos got sidelined.

Berríos suffered from a stress fracture in his right elbow that has put him on the IL. Yesavage and Berríos have joined Shane Bieber on the list. Bieber is recovering from his right forearm inflammation.

As of now, the Blue Jays’ starting rotation consists of Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Max Scherzer, and Cody Ponce. With Yesavage out, Eric Lauer might get a chance to start this season.

However, one injury after another has now made the Toronto fans weigh in on how this might affect the Blue Jays’ upcoming season.

Fans react to Trey Yesavage’s injury

As the Blue Jays’ camp gets plagued by injury, some fans on X are viewing the situation through a glass of skepticism.

“Fake injury to slow roll his ramp-up,” wrote one fan. The Blue Jays were indeed leading him on a slow buildup. But reports state that the reason for his slow ramp-up is the injury itself, not the other way round. Per Sportsnet, Yesavage reported to camp while already dealing with the shoulder issue.

Then, some also expressed their relief about the Blue Jays’ existing rotation depth. “Thank god the Jays have pitching depth. They are down 3 starters before the year even begins.”

“And there’s the other shoe. Thankfully, there were 8 starters, so there are still 5,” echoed another.

It was already known that the Blue Jays would be missing Bowden Francis for the entire season. Though Bieber’s return is a possibility, it is not set in stone. Now with Berríos and Yesavage out, Gausman, Cease, Scherzer, Ponce, and Lauer would make up their starting rotation. Their bullpen goes deep as well with Tyler Rogers, Louis Varland, Brendon Little, Braydon Fisher, Tommy Nance, and Angel Bastardo.

“Oooff. I’m sure there’s a huge range of outcomes and severity, but assuming this isn’t an inning management phantom injury, this can take a lot of time. This was Bowden’s diagnosis last year,” speculated a user on X. Francis, too, was diagnosed with a shoulder impingement in 2025 that landed him on the 60-day injured list. Then, in February, it was announced that he would undergo UCL reconstruction surgery (Tommy John), ending his hopes for the 2026 season.

“That’s a great start to the season. Here we go…” wrote one fan in frustration, who was probably tired of dealing with the Blue Jays’ injury news.

“BIG RIP FOR THE JAYS”, expressed another. And the panic makes sense, given how Yesavage performed in the World Series.

The Blue Jays nation will surely look forward to Yesavage’s speedy recovery as they aspire for another World Series run.