Joe Mantiply is set for arthroscopic surgery on his left knee after a second opinion, with no procedure date or recovery timeline yet, while Garrett Cease is improving and the team hopes he can throw a bullpen this weekend.
The Toronto Blue Jays are bracing for a longer wait on Joe Mantiply after the right-hander received a second opinion on his left knee.
Mantiply will undergo arthroscopic surgery to clean up some damage. There is no operation date or recovery timeline yet, and Blue Jays manager John Schneider said it isn’t season ending. The decision came only after that second opinion.
The 35-year-old re-signed with Toronto to a minor-league deal in March, and his contract was selected in April. In 17 appearances with the Blue Jays, Mantiply posted a 2.04 ERA and recorded 16 strikeouts.
Mantiply was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 19 due to left knee inflammation.
For now, the team’s nearer-term concern sits elsewhere in the bullpen picture. Garrett Cease is feeling better after he started coming around from a hamstring issue, and the Blue Jays are hopeful he will throw a bullpen this weekend.
Cease, 30, hit the 15-day injured list on Monday after suffering a mild hamstring strain. He has been one of Toronto’s most important pieces at the front end of the rotation when healthy, leading the American League with 92 strikeouts and carrying a 3.05 ERA across 11 starts.
There’s also progress on the rehab front. Bieber is continuing his recovery and will remain on his rehab assignment with the Dunedin Blue Jays on Sunday.
The 30-year-old right-hander entered spring training dealing with arm fatigue, then opened the season on the injured list with right elbow inflammation. He pitched his first rehab start in the Florida Complex League on Monday, throwing two shutout innings.
The Blue Jays are working through three separate injury timelines at once, and for now the one that changed most sharply is Mantiply’s, with surgery confirmed but dates and recovery still undefined.
Toronto Blue Jays Joe Mantiply arthroscopic surgery left knee inflammation Garrett Cease hamstring strain Dunedin Blue Jays Bieber rehab assignment American League strikeouts
So they got a second opinion but still no surgery date… great stuff.
I swear the Jays always “hope” someone can throw this weekend like it’s nothing. Cease hamstring, Mantiply knee… sounds like the bullpen is cooked.
Maybe they’re stalling because they don’t want to call him up or something? Like if it’s not season ending then why not just let him pitch through it, ya know. Second opinions always feel like paperwork anyway.
Not season ending supposedly but arthroscopic left knee cleanup can still drag on forever. Meanwhile Bieber being on rehab with arm fatigue AND elbow inflammation?? That’s like… two different injuries in one sentence. I’m just tired of all the timelines.