Will injuries to Yimi Garcia, Anthony Santander impact Blue Jays trade strategy?

National Post

19-07-2025

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First game back from the all-star break and the first order of business for Blue Jays manager John Schneider involved an injury update to the many players felled by various setbacks.
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It was a laundry list topped off by high-leverage reliever Yimi Garcia and slugger Anthony Santander, whose first season in Toronto is heading toward the abyss.
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Garcia, who was repatriated this off-season in free agency after the Jays shipped him to Seattle at last year's trade deadline, has been shut down from throwing for a couple of days after experiencing ulnar nerve issues in his right elbow. This came while he was ramping back up from a sprained left ankle sustained when he slipped getting into the hot/cold tubs in the training room on July 5.
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Earlier in the season, Garcia dealt with a shoulder injury that necessitated a move to the IL. The Jays are keeping their fingers crossed, but any mention of nerve problems in an elbow can't be good.
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And neither can anything associated with Santander, when one considers he has yet to resume swinging a bat as he deals with a shoulder injury. The big bopper is expected to be in town this weekend as he huddles with the medical staff.
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A bat in the middle of the order and depth in the bullpen are two areas the Jays must address in the weeks leading up to MLB's trade deadline on July 31.
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Adding a starting pitcher is also high on the to-do list.
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It's unknown what impact the crowded injured list will have in the days prior to deadline line.
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With the San Francisco Giants in town Friday night to begin a three-game series, the Jays were two games clear of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East.
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The Bronx Bombers will be in town for a three-game set Monday after they were unceremoniously swept during a four-game series at Rogers Centre, the first time the Jays had swept the Yankees in a four-game series at home.
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The Yankees promise to be active in the coming weeks. The injury-riddled Jays have no other choice but to follow suit.
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As well as Santander and Garcia, RHP Bowden Francis has also been shut down for at least the next 10 days. He experienced shoulder discomfort while ramping back up at the team's player development complex after being placed on the 15-day IL on June 17 because a right shoulder impingement.
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In 14 starts, Francis went 2-8 with a 6.05 ERA and would likely land in long relief once he returns.
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No such concern about reliever Ryan Burr, who has been shut down for the rest of the season and is set to undergo right shoulder surgery.
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Meanwhile, starter Alek Manoah had a tough rehab outing Monday in the Florida Complex League, but he is scheduled to pitch Sunday for the Dunedin Blue Jays with an eye toward pitching two innings.
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There is a sense of hopeful optimism that Manoah, who underwent UCL reconstruction last season, could return to the big-league stage at some point next month.
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