Injury updates dominate Day 1 of Blue Jays training camp

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The first official day of Blue Jays’ training camp came with a lot of bad news on the injury front.

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Anthony Santander, last season’s marquee free agent signing, who was held to just 54 games in the regular season and then had to be shut down in the post-season with back issues, is now going to undergo surgery on his left shoulder tomorrow and will miss five to six months.

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Apparently, Santander suffered a setback last month as he ramped up his hitting in advance of spring training.

The Blue Jays signed Santander last winter to a five-year, $92.5-million free agent deal, a deal they likely are regretting right now.

Unfortunately that wasn’t the extent of the bad news Blue Jays manager John Schneider delivered to media in Florida on Tuesday.

Shane Bieber, the pitcher the Jays acquired at the trade deadline last season as he was coming back from Tommy John surgery, has also had a setback and will likely start the year behind the rest of the Blue Jays in the starting rotation.

According to Schneider, Bieber is dealing with arm fatigue and will ramp up slower for the coming season than he normally would.

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Bieber is still expected to join the rotation early in the schedule, just a little delayed.

The last little bit of sobering news the manager delivered was that Bowden Francis, one of the younger Jays hurlers, will undergo UCL reconstruction Wednesday, meaning his season is over before it actually got started.

It’s a lot to take in, but given the depth the Jays have acquired, it’s not the body blow it normally might be.

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Losing Santander for five or six months, likely means bigger roles than anticipated for the likes of Nathan Lukes and Davis Schneider, two players that were key parts of the Jays’ success a year ago.

Lukes and Schneider are now expected to cover left field with Addison Barger in right, George Springer DHing for the most part, while newcomer Kazuma Okamoto plays primarily third base, and at times at first base to give Vladimir Guerrero Jr. the odd day off in the field or all together.

Were Santander in the mix from Game 1, he would have eaten up some of those DH at-bats as well as taken some time away from Barger in right field.

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Bieber’s slow ramp-up likely improves Jose Berrios’ hopes of staying in the rotation and avoiding a move to the bullpen.

It also could open a door for left-hander Eric Lauer, who was so dependable a year ago in that swing role between the pen and the rotation. Lauer will now be stretched out to start in spring training.

So no, not the greatest camp opening news for a team hoping to get back to a World Series, but at least news for which they have built-in responses. Depth, of course, is no longer the strong suit it once was for the Jays, or at least it won’t be until Bieber and Santander return.

mganter@postmedia.com

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