Sergio Santos Needs Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

Toronto Blue Jays closer Sergio Santos, who was rehabbing from a shoulder injury he suffered April 21, re-injured the shoulder during a throwing session Saturday, according to the Associated Press, and will undergo season-ending surgery. Fantasy owners who have been stashing Santos on their DL for months in the hope he would return sometime in August -- when he was predicted to come back, originally -- for some saves can safely cut him loose. The AP reports manager John Farrell said he hopes Santos, 29, will be ready by Spring Training.

Santos went north to Toronto in the offseason from the Chicago White Sox via trade. In six appearances in 2012, he had two saves and allowed six earned runs. Casey Janssen has filled the closers' role nicely for the Blue Jays in Santos' absence, however, with a 2.21 ERA and 13 saves.

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Sergio Santos Injury: Blue Jays' Closer Out At Least Four Weeks

The Toronto Blue Jays traded for Sergio Santos to be their closer in part because he's really good, but also in part because he has a team-friendly contract. So the short-term isn't the only concern for the team, which is why they've shut Santos down for the next four weeks with a shoulder injury. From MLB.com:

"Ten to 14 days of no throw, and as we've used the typical rule of thumb, it's going to be at least the same number of days to get back to where he left off," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said. "That's going to take us right up to, probably, a four-week period."

The original fear was that Santos had suffered a serious injury to his throwing shoulder, but an MRI revealed no structural damage, so the team is taking the rest and rehabilitation route. The Jays will use experienced closer Francisco Cordero in the interim.

Sergio Santos Injury: MRI Shows No Structural Damage

Blue Jays closer Sergio Santos was placed on the disabled list over the weekend with inflammation in his throwing shoulder, and sent, as pitchers generally are after such events, to have an MRI.

There’s good news for Santos and the team from that exam. Vinnie Duber:

An MRI exam on Monday confirmed the inflammation in Sergio Santos’ right shoulder but showed no structural damage.

After Monday’s win, manager John Farrell said he considered the news good.

Farrell added that Santos wouldn’t throw for 10 days to two weeks, and after that the team will "initiate the throwing program."

So with no surgery needed, at least according to this report, and that sort of timetable for a throwing program, it would appear that Santos could return to action in about a month. In the meantime, Francisco Cordero will continue to close for Toronto.

For more on the Blue Jays, please visit Bluebird Banter.

Sergio Santos Injury: Blue Jays Closer Hits DL