The Toronto Blue Jays were already managing a rotation full of question marks when the 2026 season got underway. Now, with their most significant missing piece still weeks, possibly months away, the club has signed veteran pitcher Patrick Corbin to a one-year deal.
Shane Bieber was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to March 22 with right elbow inflammation and isn’t expected back until potentially May. He is scheduled to throw off a mound for the first time on April 4.
Manager John Schneider made the return order clear on Friday: Trey Yesavage is expected back first, followed by Jose Berrios, with Bieber coming last. That pecking order matters, meaning Toronto could be without its most important rotation piece for a meaningful stretch of the early season.
Yesavage is already making progress. Per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, the right-hander is slated to pitch three innings in a Single-A Dunedin game today, a notable step in his return.
Bieber’s recovery will almost certainly take the longest of the group. If he responds well to mound work, he’ll likely have some more workouts done before beginning a rehab assignment in the coming weeks.
The rotation picture gets even bleaker when you account for the rest of the injury ledger. Bowden Francis will miss the entire 2026 season following Tommy John surgery, and Cody Ponce, who was supposed to hold down a spot in the rotation, is now dealing with an ACL sprain in his right knee that will sideline him for the foreseeable future.
With Bieber out the longest and two other starters also unavailable, Toronto is looking to veteran left-hander Patrick Corbin as a short-term solution. Corbin was one of the worst pitchers in baseball for a prolonged stretch before posting a 4.40 ERA in 31 appearances and 155.1 innings with the Texas Rangers in 2025. The 36-year-old won’t turn heads, but he will be a back-end starter who can eat innings for the Blue Jays.
© Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
The fit makes sense on both sides. Toronto doesn’t need a frontline arm; they have Kevin Gausman and Dylan Cease for that. What they need is an MLB-caliber arm capable of working through at least five innings per start while they wait for Bieber and the rest of their injured rotation to return.
Toronto won the American League last season and fell one win short of a championship. Losing Bieber for any extended stretch is a genuine threat to their title hopes. Corbin, even in diminished form, gives them a bridge. Right now, that bridge matters.
