Shane Bieber's 2026 with the Blue Jays was a roller coaster that ended too soon. The question now is which version Toronto would get if it brings him back.

The trouble started before camp. On Feb. 10, John Schneider announced Bieber would be delayed by right forearm inflammation that had lingered since the 2025 World Series.

He never pitched in spring. The Jays placed him on the IL on March 25 with right elbow inflammation and moved him to the 60-day list in April.

He finally returned on June 23 against the Astros after rehab stops in the Florida Complex League, Dunedin and Buffalo. It was rough, with nine hits and four runs allowed in 3.2 innings.

Then the flashes came. On July 18 against the White Sox, he threw six scoreless innings for his first win.

Five days later, he held the Rays to one run over seven innings in a 3-1 win that stopped a sweep.

Shane Bieber's August surge kept Toronto in the wild-card race

The deadline start was a disaster. He failed to escape the first inning against the Nationals on July 28, and his ERA jumped to 5.74.

Toronto kept him anyway, and August paid off. Across four starts, he went 3-0 with a 2.59 ERA.

Then what? The same story as the rest of the season.

After an Aug. 20 start against the Rays, he was diagnosed with right teres major inflammation. He landed on the IL four days later, and his season was over.

He finished 5-2 with a 4.37 ERA over 11 starts. Hitters batted .253 against him.

That's exactly why Toronto should bring him back on a one-year deal. When he's healthy, he's still a difference-maker, and Spotrac's projected price comes in below the $16 million he earned in 2026.

His season was like a great TV series constantly interrupted by commercials. The episodes were good, there just weren't enough of them.

The workload context matters. He was coming off a second Tommy John recovery and had thrown 59 innings from Aug. 22 onward in 2025, including the postseason run.

He heads to free agency with interest from multiple clubs. If Ross Atkins wants the August version, he'll have to accept the risk that comes with the rest of the calendar.