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Blue Jays, Anthony Santander didn’t discover labrum tear until this winter
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Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Thomas Hall
Feb 18, 2026, 11:30 ESTUpdated: Feb 18, 2026, 11:45 EST
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When the Toronto Blue Jays first revealed that Anthony Santander would require left shoulder surgery on the eve of spring training, many wondered why this wasn’t addressed over the off-season or even late last season. On Wednesday, the 31-year-old answered those questions — it’s because nobody knew about the tear in his labrum until last month.
For the first time this spring, Santander stood in front of reporters at the player development complex in Dunedin, Fla., answering questions after undergoing shoulder surgery that’s expected to sideline him for approximately 5-6 months. But he still hopes to return later this year.
This ailment, of course, has plagued Santander and the Blue Jays for almost an entire year now. He first suffered the injury on a diving play at Angel Stadium in early May, when he crashed into the seats in foul territory. And it’s now on track to result in a second consecutive injury-derailed season.
So, how did we arrive here?
Santander told reporters on Wednesday that mid-season MRIs on his left shoulder didn’t reveal the tear in his labrum, as relayed by MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson. Thus, Toronto’s medical staff opted for rehab — both during the regular season and this past off-season, as the switch-hitting outfielder also recovered from back tightness that knocked him out of the post-season last fall.
It wasn’t until Santander started ramping up his swing in January that his shoulder pain returned, prompting the Blue Jays to send him for additional testing shortly after he arrived at camp, which ultimately revealed a torn labrum on MRI scans.
For whatever reason, the MRIs that Santander underwent last season didn’t reveal the full extent of  the damage to his left shoulder, saying, “It’s nobody’s fault, it just didn’t show up.” Doctors examined the injured area last month and recommended surgery as the best option to resolve this nagging ailment.
“When they opened it up, they could see that actually I needed [surgery]. They didn’t know why the MRI didn’t show how bad it was,” Santander said via translator, as Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi relayed.
Whether or not other tests might have discovered Santander’s torn labrum last year won’t provide much solace at this point. All the team can hope for now is that this never-ending saga is finally behind them.
Life without Santander went better than anyone could’ve imagined last season, thanks to the support this lineup received from unlikely sources and strong internal success stories. But with Bo Bichette no longer a part of this group, the 2026 season will likely present a much tougher test for an offence anchored by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
If the Blue Jays can thrive without Santander, the team will likely bring him along slowly as he rehabs, providing additional reps to build up his strength and stamina before rejoining the big-league club. Those plans will remain fluid until he steps back into the batter’s box and begins a rehab assignment, though.
“We’ll see where we’re at when we get there,” Santander admitted when asked about a potential late-season return. “If it doesn’t work, obviously the other option is to wait until next year, but I hope it doesn’t go that way.”
Set to enter the second season of a five-year, $92.5 million contract, $61.75 million of which is deferred, you couldn’t have drawn up a worse start to Santander’s Blue Jays career than this. He’s only played 59 total games (including regular season and playoffs) and has looked nothing like the game-changer who posted career-highs in home runs (44) and RBIs (102) during his sensational 2024 campaign.
There’s still time to salvage the remainder of this deal, which is currently underwater. But we’re several months away from that journey resuming.

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