Nathan Lukes close to returning, Shane Bieber, Yimi García, Alejandro Kirk all trending towards rehab assignments

Blue Jays injury updates: Nathan Lukes close to returning, Shane Bieber, Yimi García, Alejandro Kirk all trending towards rehab assignments

As he does prior to every series, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider provided an update on a handful of injured Blue Jays.

The closest to returning is outfielder Nathan Lukes. Over two games with the Dunedin Blue Jays, Lukes has gone 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBIs and two walks. Lukes has appeared at designated hitter and in right field as he works his way back from a left hamstring strain suffered on April 24.

He has a scheduled off-day on Friday before getting two more games in with Dunedin over the weekend. The 31-year-old is expected to return Toronto on Monday. At that point, the Blue Jays will decide if Lukes is ready to be activated from the injured list or if a couple games in Triple-A with Buffalo will be required.

Shane Bieber is about to take a vital step as he prepares to make his 2026 debut. After throwing bullpens over recent weeks, Bieber is scheduled to throw two innings on Monday with the Florida Complex League Blue Jays. The plan is a slow build-up for Bieber as the right-hander’s next outing will be planned for three innings.

Once healthy, Bieber figures to slot into the Blue Jays’ rotation that is currently working with a bullpen game every fifth day. A better timeline for Bieber will be known once the 30-year-old gets into game action, but a return in mid-June feels like a safe bet at the earliest.

Shane Bieber (elbow) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment on Monday, throwing two innings for the Florida Complex League Blue Jays

He’ll build up volume from there, shooting for three innings his next time out

On Friday, reliever Yimi García threw a two-inning bullpen session, finishing around the 30-pitch mark. Garcia threw two up’s, simulating game action and the preparation required. The goal is for García to face hitters next week, gradually bringing the right-hander along in his recovery from right elbow surgery.

García made one appearance with the FCL Blue Jays earlier this month but experienced soreness following the outing. The 35-year-old posted a line of 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, and could be a high-leverage option for Schneider if the right-hander returns to form showcased in previous seasons with the club.

Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk is in Toronto with the club this weekend as he continues to work his way back from a left thumb fracture. Kirk has yet to see any game action but has been catching bullpens and live BPs.

The plan for Kirk once he returns to Dunedin is to hit off machines, then face live pitching before working his way into minor-league game action. Kirk is ready to return behind the plate; he just needs to get comfortable with the bat. If everything goes as planned, Kirk could begin a rehab assignment next week.

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