Toronto Blue Jays injured list has higher payroll than two other MLB teams
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
The Toronto Blue Jays have had some brutal injury luck to start the 2026 season.
The Toronto Blue Jays have been hit hard by injuries to open the 2026 MLB season, and the financial impact is just as striking as the on-field toll.
At the moment, 11 players are sidelined on Toronto’s injured list, combining for a total salary of $107 million.
That figure actually exceeds the entire team payrolls of two MLB clubs: the Miami Marlins and the Cleveland Guardians.
Miami currently holds the league’s lowest payroll at $84 million, while Cleveland is the only other team spending under $100 million, with a total of $98 million.
Toronto’s injury situation is also significant in terms of volume.
Their 11 players on the IL rank fourth-most in the league, behind the Arizona Diamondbacks and Baltimore Orioles (12 each), and the Houston Astros, who lead with 13.
Large portion of the Blue Jays’ injured payroll is concentrated in just four players:
George Springer (toe), José Berríos (elbow), Shane Bieber (elbow), and Alejandro Kirk (thumb). Together, they account for nearly 65 percent of the total salary tied up on the IL.
Springer’s injury is the most recent blow. He exited Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Twins after fouling a pitch off his left foot.
Subsequent X-rays revealed a fractured toe, and he was placed on the 10-day injured list shortly after.
The veteran outfielder is in the final season of his six-year deal and earns $24.17 million this year, making him the team’s third-highest-paid player behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Dylan Cease.
Elsewhere, Berríos, fifth in team salary, is expected to begin a rehab assignment for his elbow injury in the Blue Jays’ minor league system next week.
As for Bieber (60-Day IL) and Kirk, both are projected to miss extended time, with returns not anticipated until at least May or June. These injuries are already taking a toll on performance.
The Blue Jays have used a franchise-record 19 pitchers through their first 15 games and currently sit at the bottom of the AL East standings.
Looking ahead, Toronto will try to stabilize during a demanding stretch.
The team kicks off a nine-game road trip Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers, followed by a west coast swing against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels.
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