Blue Jays Announce Season-Ending News on Day 1 of Spring Training

Story by

Ayomide Adeduyite

Tue, Feb 10, 2026 ·

2 min read

The Toronto Blue Jays opened Spring Training 2026 hoping to build on the momentum of a breakthrough 2025 campaign that ended with the franchise’s first World Series appearance since 1993. Toronto won the American League East, pushed through a demanding postseason run that included a seven-game ALCS victory over the Seattle Mariners and ultimately fell just short in the Fall Classic, losing Game 7 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in extra innings at Rogers Centre.

Much of the roster that powered that run is back. The Blue Jays return a core led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr ., George Springer and Alejandro Kirk , while continuing to rely on established contributors across the lineup and pitching staff. Toronto also made aggressive moves in the offseason, headlined by the addition of Dylan Cease on a long-term deal and the return of veteran pitcher Shane Bieber , who opted into his player option for 2026.

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider (14) © Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
(© Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images)

Entering camp, optimism remained high that the club could once again contend in the American League.

But fans got tough news on Tuesday when manager John Schneider delivered an unfortunate update involving one of the team’s pitching options.

Schneider confirmed that right-hander Bowden Francis will miss the entire 2026 season after being diagnosed with an elbow injury that requires UCL reconstruction surgery, per MLB .com’s Keegan Matheson. The procedure, commonly known as Tommy John surgery, ends Francis’ season before it begins and comes after an injury-plagued 2025 campaign.

Francis, 29, was expected to compete for rotation depth this spring after struggling to stay healthy last season. He finished 2025 with a 2-8 record and a 6.05 ERA across 14 starts, allowing 19 home runs before being sidelined by shoulder and elbow issues. The setback marked a sharp contrast from his 2024 season, when he posted a 3.30 ERA.

His absence removes an internal option at a time when top rotations across baseball are at a premium.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.