Toronto Blue Jays Injuries: Belt Fully Recovered From Knee Surgery
The Blue Jays have made a couple of moves this winter, and one of their top incoming players is recovering from serious offseason surgery.
Blue Jays Injuries (2022 offseason)
The following Blue Jays injuries will be updated throughout the offseason.
Brandon Belt (right knee) feeling 100% after September surgery
Expected to return: Spring Training 2023
Belt spoke with the media on January 11 and said his knee feels "amazing" for the first time in years after undergoing surgery in September 2022. Last season, his knee cartilage had chipped, causing the area around the joint to swell up. That issue has now been relieved, meaning Belt can put full weight on his front side during his swing.
The 34-year-old will mostly serve as the Blue Jays' designated hitter in 2023, which offers him plenty of time off his feet. He's expected to be ready for spring training.
Updated: Jan. 11, 2022
Hyun Jin Ryu (elbow) aiming for July return after Tommy John surgery
Expected to return: July 2023
On June 18, Ryu underwent Tommy John surgery on his left elbow. The standard recovery time for such a procedure is 12 to 18 months. General manager Ross Atkins said Ryu could return as early as the halfway point of 2023, but the left-hander’s recovery will “more realistically” mean he returns in July or August.
Ryu told Korean media in late December 2022 that he is traveling to the United States for rehab and targeting a return in July 2023. He is a free agent at the conclusion of the 2023 season.
Read more on Ryu's return from injury here.
Updated: Jan. 3, 2022
Kevin Kiermaier (left hip) recovering from surgery
Expected to return: 2023 Spring Training
Kiermaier had hip surgery in August to address a torn left labrum and is feeling "85-90%" as we head into the New Year. The 32-year-old is running and hitting in the cage, which he said has pushed him close to getting his body moving at an "optimum level."
On a positive note, Kiermaier said his swing feels pain-free. After two years of battling this nagging hip issue, he's finally able to lean into his lower half at the plate.
Kiermaier is expected to be ready for spring training in March.
Updated: Dec. 16, 2022
George Springer (right elbow) undergoes surgery
Expected to return: 2023 Spring Training
After battling through a bone spur in his right elbow for the entire second half of the 2022 season, George Springer underwent surgery in late October to have the spur removed. The procedure was performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas and the Blue Jays expect Springer to be ready for Spring Training.
Springer has also recovered from a concussion and shoulder sprain suffered during a collision with shortstop Bo Bichette in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series. The Blue Jays center fielder was carted off the field in that contest. He remained in Toronto for a few days after that game while his concussion symptoms subsided.
Updated: Nov. 7, 2022
