Varsho out for season, will undergo rotator cuff surgery

ARLINGTON -- For the past week, Daulton Varsho has been day to day with a nagging shoulder issue. That just took a turn.

Varsho will undergo rotator cuff surgery soon to repair his right shoulder, Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Tuesday, which ends his 2024 season on a worrying note and casts doubt on the early days of ‘25.

Varsho originally injured the shoulder in August, Schneider said, diving for a ball against the Angels. That stretches back just over a month, and while Varsho has been able to play through some discomfort, that continued to come and go as September wore on.

• 'Grateful' Bichette returns to action -- with an assist from dad

“It comes down to Varsho talking with our staff, with the doctors that he saw and just looking long term,” Schneider said before Toronto's 13-8 loss to the Rangers. “Not having things be nagging or wasting time. If he were to come back and have it creep back in, then you’re looking at more time. This is what Varsho and the doctors were comfortable with long term.”

This is the last news the Blue Jays needed, given how valuable Varsho has become to this organization over the past two seasons. He’s established himself as one of the truly elite defenders in baseball and a favorite for a Gold Glove Award, which has been on full display since the trade of Kevin Kiermaier allowed Varsho to slide to center field full-time. It’s better to address this now than risking it becoming more serious in 2025, when the Blue Jays plan to make another run after this year’s many shortcomings, but it’s difficult to find a silver lining in Tuesday’s news.

Varsho’s timeline for return
Shoulder injuries are tricky. Rotator cuff injuries are especially tricky. These are more common in pitchers, of course, but by no means unheard of for a position player. There are layers and layers to this, meaning we won’t have a clear timeline until Varsho undergoes the surgery -- which is expected to happen soon -- and works through the early stages of his recovery this winter.

“Most likely, it might bleed into next spring a little bit,” Schneider said. “But we’ll know more as the calendar flips and see how he’s responding.”

Anything involving the rotator cuff is significant, and if the Blue Jays are already expecting that this could stretch into camp next season, they’ll need to prepare for scenarios where it stretches into the regular season. This type of injury is something the Blue Jays will need to ensure Varsho is fully and completely healed from, of course, but his return timeline immediately becomes one of the most important storylines of this offseason.

Varsho has been worth 3.2 WAR this season (FanGraphs), second to only Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the Blue Jays. He’s hit .214 with 18 home runs and a .700 OPS over 136 games, but the majority of his value comes from his play in the field, where he leads all outfielders with a +17 Fielding Run Value. That’s something the Blue Jays can’t replace quickly or simply, if needed.

What if Varsho misses part of the 2025 season?
The spotlight is officially on Joey Loperfido. Yes, the Blue Jays have plenty of players who can play the corners, but if they need a true center fielder for a week, a month or more, that’s a different conversation.

Along with Loperfido, Steward Berroa is another option with experience and talent in center, but he’s struggled in limited action in his MLB debut. Nathan Lukes has played plenty of center, himself, and always seems to produce when given the opportunity.

The interesting name to keep in mind here is No. 6 prospect Jonatan Clase, the lightning-quick outfielder who came over from the Mariners in the Yimi Garcia deal. He’s a gifted athlete capable of filling any gap in the outfield, but if the Blue Jays really plan to load up and take a serious run in 2025, they’ll need certainty. If Varsho does need to miss any time next season, that could point to a veteran defensive specialist to get the season rolling, at the very least.

In a perfect world for the Blue Jays, none of these conversations are needed. This organization will need to be prepared, though, as one of its most important players and one of this game’s most talented defenders enters the offseason facing a long rehab process.