The Toronto Blue Jays delivered unwelcome news Tuesday afternoon when they placed veteran right-hander Shane Bieber on the 15-day injured list with right teres major inflammation, retroactive to August 21.
The move comes just hours before the club opens a three-game homestand against the Kansas City Royals at Rogers Centre.
To fill the roster spot, Toronto recalled right-hander Chad Dallas from Triple-A Buffalo, making him available for Tuesday night’s series opener.
Bieber’s latest setback arrives after a stretch in which the 31-year-old had finally begun to look like the pitcher Toronto hoped to have when it acquired him from Cleveland at the 2025 trade deadline.
The former American League Cy Young Award winner spent most of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He made his Blue Jays debut in late August 2025 and then contributed through the club’s deep postseason run, including a World Series start.
He later exercised a $16 million player option to remain in Toronto for 2026.
This year began with more caution. Elbow inflammation and forearm fatigue kept Bieber on the injured list until late June. Early results after his return were uneven, but August brought clearer signs of progress.
In his most recent outing on August 20 in Tampa Bay, he worked seven innings, allowed one run, and struck out seven without issuing a walk.
Across 11 starts this season, he is 5-2 with a 4.37 ERA in 55 2/3 innings. The teres major inflammation now interrupts that momentum at a moment when the Blue Jays are still trying to stay relevant in a crowded American League wild-card picture.
The injury itself involves a muscle in the upper back and shoulder region that helps stabilize the arm during the throwing motion.
Clubs typically treat it conservatively, which explains the 15-day designation and the retroactive date that could allow Bieber to return as soon as early September if inflammation settles quickly. Toronto has already navigated a long list of pitching absences this season, so the rotation will once again lean on depth pieces.
Dallas, a 26-year-old who made his major-league debut earlier this summer, has seen limited big-league action and posted an 8.22 ERA in three appearances. He will likely serve as extra bullpen or spot-start insurance rather than an immediate replacement in the rotation.
The Blue Jays open the Royals series at 7:07 p.m. EDT on Tuesday looking to keep their late-season push alive while hoping Bieber’s latest inflammation proves short-lived.
For a pitcher who has already overcome major surgery and multiple elbow issues, the coming weeks will determine whether 2026 still holds another chapter in Toronto.
