Saunders could rejoin Jays in April

The damage to Michael Saunders’ knee was worse than expected. But for that very reason, he could start playing for the Blue Jays sooner than expected — in mid-April instead of mid-season.

The Jays’ new left fielder tore cartilage in his left knee Wednesday when he stepped on a sprinkler head on a practice field.

The original prognosis was based on the assumption the cartilage could be repaired, dictating a long recovery time to allow the tissue to mend.

But during Friday’s operation, team surgeon Steven Mirabello discovered the knee cartilage was so damaged it could not be repaired, general manager Alex Anthopoulos said.

Mirabello had to remove 60 per cent of the cartilage.

Recovery time for the Victoria native is estimated at five to six weeks, the GM said.

“Having him back sooner is great and nice that he’s got a chance to be back by the middle of April,” Anthopoulos said. “If he recovers well, it could be a little sooner.

“I think the standard is four to six weeks, but just because we’re in spring training and trying to get ready … he’s going to need at-bats. That’s maybe where it’s going to take a little bit longer.”

Anthopoulos said Saunders could be running in two weeks and may be ready to start a minor-league rehab assignment in three to four weeks.

Originally, based on the prospect of surgical repair rather than removal, the Jays believed he would not return until late June and perhaps the allstar break.

Given that scenario, they planned a widespread audition for a standin outfielder among players in camp. Anthopoulos had also started to explore a deal with other clubs.

Long-term, however, Saunders faces the possibility of knee problems because of the missing cartilage, Anthopoulos said, basing his comments on discussions with Mirabello. There is no way to predict whether such problems will arise, nor how serious they might be.

“The doctor told me everything else looked great in his knee. Forty per cent cartilage is still a good chunk. Down the road, years from now, maybe this is something he’s going to need to be on top of,” Anthopoulos said.