As the TD Ballpark is set to hold the first showdown of the Spring Training between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies, the former will be missing a key bullpen piece during the season’s start, as the veteran pitcher is still recovering.

At 35, Yimi Garcia is returning from scar tissue surgery this season. The last time he played was in July 2025. In a recent interaction with the media, Garcia revealed he has yet to throw off the mound. In an episode of the Jays Digest podcast, Nick Gosse discussed the Blue Jays’ bullpen depth and what Yimi Garcia’s initial absence means for the franchise.

According to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, on Friday, Yimi Garcia stated that he will not be 100% ready on opening day, as he is a little behind in his recovery. Garcia is expecting to be ready to throw off the mound in the upcoming weeks. However, he would likely miss the early regular-season games.

“For him to come out that he is 100% not going to be ready for opening day. That is not great. And the fact that he’s not throwing off a mound is even crazier to me,” feels Nick Gosse on the Garcia situation.

The Blue Jays had hoped to have Garcia back by the start of Spring Training. But Garcia’s latest update puts the Blue Jays’ reliever plans in jeopardy. As evident from the Santander case, rushing Garcia to return will clearly not work. So, they have to bide their time and get Garcia back to 100% by the time the postseason arrives. He had missed the postseason games last year.

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According to Garcia, “It’s a really long season, so we have to be smart and do the best we can.”

The Garcia situation highlights Toronto’s need for bullpen depth. Right now, they are in dire need of a reliever to fill in for Garcia. With his absence, John Schneider now needs to secure another reliever, and Gosse dubbed the Blue Jays’ situation a “scary” one.

He said, “It’s a pretty scary turn here and one that matters a lot as we approach the games today and beyond.”

Garcia was supposed to be the person to provide stability in high-leverage situations. His value was clear last season; before his injury, he was a workhorse, posting a respectable 3.86 ERA with 25 strikeouts in just 21 innings. His combined 3.46 ERA across 39 games with Toronto and Seattle underscores the stability the Blue Jays are now missing.

Gosse warned, “Yimi Garcia was going to be crucial this year. Now all of a sudden, there’s that much more uncertainty. And that means, now the other guys going to have to step up.”

Following Garcia’s injury update, Thomas Hall posted on X stating that it’s time for the Blue Jays’ “internal bullpen competition” to begin. But again, having a healthy Garcia back for at least the latter months would be the priority.

If not Garcia, then who?

The Blue Jays will be defending their AL East title this season. In Garcia’s absence, the Jays will lean on reliable setup men like Louis Varland and Tommy Nance to bridge the gap to closer Jeff Hoffman.

However, new signing submariner Tyler Rogers could be also the key to solve the Blue Jays’ current problem. Rogers is on a three-year $37 million contract with Toronto. With a unique arm angle at -61°, Rogers pitched in 81 games recording an impressive 1.98 ERA. The Blue Jays will definitely be depending upon Rogers to pitch effectively in the upcoming season.

The Blue Jays focused on having right-handed pitchers on their bullpen with Brendon Little and Mason Fluharty as the only left-handed ones. Fluharty, Little or Brayden Fisher could also step up to the mound with Garcia’s absence.

Injuries and progresses are unpredictable. And Garcia’s injury delay highlighted the need for bullpen depth. But ultimately, it will be up to John Schneider and Ross Atkins to decide whether the Blue Jays will once again go on a shopping spree to add a reliable relieving arm to their list.