Blue Jays pitcher undergoes surgery, will miss significant amount of time

Macko first experienced knee soreness last week, prompting an MRI that revealed the tear. Blue Jays manager John Schneider provided a brief update but remained optimistic about Macko's recovery.

Macko's injury is a blow to the Blue Jays' pitching depth. As one of only two left-handed starters in the system's immediate rotation mix, he was positioned as the club's 7th or 8th starter, behind Yariel Rodr�guez, Jake Bloss, and Adam Kloffenstein. The only other left-handed starter in the queue is Eric Lauer.

Initially, Macko was slated to begin the season in Triple-A, with a potential call-up to the Blue Jays by mid-to-late July. However, that timeline is now in doubt.

While a meniscus repair is unlikely to sideline him for the entire year, recovery timelines vary, and the Blue Jays may opt to keep him in the minors to ensure he's fully healthy before a return.

The team could also place Macko on the 60-day injured list to open the season. However, doing so would start his MLB service time and guarantee him a prorated league-minimum salary of $760K.

The Blue Jays will have more clarity once Macko returns to camp.