Shane Bieber is lining up for another live batting practice session next week, and the Blue Jays are finally getting a little more movement in his recovery.
Toronto's current plan is for Bieber to face hitters again early next week, with a 2-up session this time as the club keeps building him back in stages.
That matters because this is not just another flat-ground update. Live BP against hitters is where a starter starts getting closer to baseball rhythm instead of just throwing for maintenance.
Bieber already threw an 18-pitch, 1-up live session at the player development complex, which gave the Blue Jays enough encouragement to map out a heavier follow-up.
The jump from 1-up to 2-ups is the part that sticks. Toronto is not rushing him, but it is asking a little more from the arm now, and that usually tells you the previous step checked out well enough.
That is important for a club still waiting on rotation help. Bieber has been on the 60-day injured list, and his return has stayed in the weeks-away category rather than feeling close enough to circle on the calendar.
He is still not at the rehab assignment stage, and that is the key reality here. The Blue Jays can feel better about the direction without pretending the finish line is right in front of them.
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Shane Bieber is moving forward, but Toronto still has to wait
This is where the update lands cleanly. It is good news, because Bieber is facing hitters and building volume. But it is still measured news, because a 2-up live BP is not the same thing as being ready for MLB innings.
Toronto has taken this route carefully from the start. Back in spring, John Schneider said Bieber would open camp slowly because of arm fatigue, and the club has kept that patient tone all season.
That caution makes sense when you remember the bigger picture. Bieber is working back after Tommy John surgery and then had his 2026 buildup slowed again before the season really got going.
So while this next live BP session is a real step in the right direction, it is better read as progress than arrival. The Blue Jays are still stacking checkpoints, not setting a firm activation date.
For Toronto, though, even that matters right now. A healthy Bieber would change the feel of this staff, and every successful session gives the Blue Jays one more reason to believe that help is still coming.
That is why next week's session carries some weight. Shane Bieber is not back yet, but he is ramping up, he is facing hitters again, and the Blue Jays finally have another rehab marker pointing in the right direction.
Will Shane Bieber still make a major impact for the Blue Jays once he returns?
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