The Blue Jays have some injury worries concerning Shane Bieber ahead of Spring Training
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Victor William
Feb 8, 2026 (1:37 PM)
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Photo credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
The Blue Jays rotation is a crowded masterpiece, but a subtle health scare for Shane Bieber could bring the whole house of cards crashing down.
While the world obsesses over the José Berrios drama, the real anxiety should be focused on Bieber's right arm.
Bieber (Drafted Round 4, 2016 by Cleveland) is coming off a partial 2025 season where he returned from Tommy John surgery to help push the Jays to Game 7 of the World Series.
But buried in the offseason news cycle was a report that he dealt with "forearm fatigue" as the season ended.
That two-word phrase is the stuff of nightmares for pitchers, especially those just 18 months removed from major elbow reconstruction.
If Bieber is healthy, he is the steal of the century at $16 million—a Cy Young caliber arm sitting in the middle of the rotation.
If he is throwing his normal bullpen sessions early in camp without issue, we can all exhale and dream of a rotation with zero weak spots.
But if there is even a hint of a delay—a skipped session, a "maintenance day," or a drop in velocity—the panic button gets smashed immediately.
The rotation logjam might solve itself in the worst way
This is where the Berrios situation connects directly to Bieber's elbow.
If Bieber's fatigue lingers, that "awkward" surplus of starters suddenly becomes a lifeline.
You don't trade Berrios if Bieber's status is even 1% in doubt.
General Manager Ross Atkins called Bieber's Opening Day readiness a "very realistic outcome," which is front-office speak for "we are hopeful but cautious."
We saw Bieber reinvent himself last year, averaging 92.6 mph and using his elite command to survive.
But the forearm is the canary in the coal mine.
Every throw he makes in Dunedin will be scrutinized by fans, media, and rival scouts alike.
This isn't just about 2026; it's about whether Bieber can resurrect his career or if his body is telling him enough is enough.
Let’s hope the fatigue was just the tax for rushing back to pitch in October, and not a warning sign of something worse.
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| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 8|369 ANSWERS The Blue Jays have some injury worries concerning Shane Bieber ahead of Spring Training Are you worried that Shane Bieber's forearm fatigue will force him to miss the start of the season? | ||
| Yes | 194 | 52.6 % |
| No | 175 | 47.4 % |
| List of polls | ||