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Report: Blue Jays prospect Josh Kasevich set to miss time with back injury; RHP Ryan Burr dealing with arm fatigue
© Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays are starting to have some injuries pile up as spring training continues onward.

With Erik Swanson likely to start the season on the IL, Arden Zwelling reported yesterday that Jays prospect Josh Kasevich will also be on the sidelines as he deals with a stress reaction in his lower back. The report is that Kasevich aggravated the preexisting injury during a game this past weekend against the Atlanta Braves. Through five games, the right-handed hitting infielder has collected two hits, two runs, and two RBIs through nine at-bats with one walk and zero strikeouts.

Kasevich was recently named the seventh top prospect in the Blue Jays system by Keegan Matheson at MLB.com and the infielder was heading into the 2025 season with aspirations of playing in the big leagues this year. Last season, the University of Oregon product started the year in double-A and finished the season in triple-A Buffalo, where he compiled a .325/.382/.364 slash line with a .697 OPS.

Once recovered, Kasevich will likely start the season in triple-A barring a rehab stint in a lower level.

Reports from the Jays camp also have reliever Ryan Burr on the sidelines, with the right-hander dealing with shoulder fatigue as per Zwelling and his colleague Ben Nicholson-Smith. Burr will not be pitching for the foreseeable future while the Blue Jays wait to see how his arm feels in the coming days.

The former Philadelphia Phillies hurler is looking to find a spot on the Opening Day roster after being acquired by the Blue Jays last May and appearing in 34 games for the squad down the stretch. Authoring a 4.13 ERA across 32 2/3 innings, Burr was a mainstay in the bullpen from mid-July onward and impressed late in the season, amassing a 3.38 ERA through 11 outings in September. The right-hander also finished with an impressive 3.07 FIP and a 1.255 WHIP with a 12.9 K/9 on the year and was one option for the Jays to fill in for Swanson but will now likely miss the start of the season considering he is behind schedule and has yet to appear in a spring training game.

Per MLB Trade Rumours, Burr is also out of minor league options and will need a spot on the roster (barring an IL stint) or he must be designated for assignment.

This article first appeared on Bluejaysnation and was syndicated with permission.

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