Expecting to contend for the playoffs a third straight season, the Toronto Blue Jays entered this year with the highest payroll in team history, clocking in at a little over $160 million, according to numbers from Cot’s Contracts. But with the team’s injury woes through the first month-plus of action, it’s been a much thriftier lineup taking to the field in Toronto lately.

With Thursday’s news lefty Francisco Liriano was heading to the disabled list with shoulder inflammation, the Blue Jays now have more than $83 million on the DL, essentially half their opening-day payroll.

Liriano is one of three Jays’ starters currently dealing with ailments. Over seven starts, the 33-year-old hurler is 2-2 with a 6.35 earned run average and a WHIP of 1.906 in 28.1 innings pitched. Liriano's velocity is down nearly two miles per hour in 2017. His $13.7-million salary is the most amongst the trio of starters on the DL, with J.A. Happ coming in at $13 million and Aaron Sanchez at $535,000.

The pitchers' salaries trail those of the trio of position players also sidelined. Catcher Russell Martin and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, each make $20 million this season, while 3B Josh Donaldson comes in with a $17-million per-season salary.

Martin’s trip to the DL came on Monday. The veteran catcher is dealing with a nerve issue in his left shoulder. Martin said the injury, which doesn’t cause pain but limits mobility and strength, may be an aggravation of a similar issue he dealt with in Spring Training.

The timeline for recovery isn’t yet known, but Jays manager John Gibbons did say earlier this week he didn’t expect Martin’s to be a long-term absence.

Martin and his $20-million salary are currently being replaced on the 25-man roster by a combination of Luke Maile and Michael Ohlman, who both carry a big league salary of $535,000* for the year.

Tulowitzki, meanwhile, could be nearing a return from a DL stint for a hamstring injury that began in late April and has thus far cost the veteran shortstop 17 games.

Tulo had been batting .263 with a home run and 10 RBIs this season and, in his absence, Darwin Barney ($2.9 million per year salary) and Ryan Goins ($548,000 per yer) have been given more playing time. The two infielders have provided the same sterling defence fans have come to expect of Tulowitzki, and have kept pace at the plate, as well, combining to hit .242 with four home runs and 17 RBIs this season, in a little more than twice the at bats of Tulo.

Donaldson might not be far behind Tulowitzki. The 2015 AL MVP has been sorely missed on the hot corner the past 24 games by the Jays. Donaldson was placed on the DL a little over a week before Tulowitzki with calf troubles that had been plaguing the star third baseman throughout Spring Training. Donaldson, who was batting .310 with two home runs and four RBIs through nine games at the time of his injury, has been replaced predominately by Chris Coghlan, who carries a $535,000 salary and has batted .209 with one homer and three RBIs in 18 games this season.

As for the rotation, after needing just seven starters all of last season, the team has already seen nine different players make starts this year. Happ has missed four starts with elbow inflammation suffered in mid-April. The injury isn’t as serious as originally feared, but is dragging on longer than hoped for and there is still no timetable for the veteran’s return.

The absence of Sanchez and his modest salary, meanwhile, have been felt much more on the mound than on the books. The Jays’ young ace has missed four starts, and eight innings of a fifth, with fingernail troubles.

The four pitchers to have taken turns filling in – Casey Lawrence, Mat Latos, reliever Joe Biagini, and most recently Mike Bolsinger, have combined for an 0-4 record with 23 earned runs over 36 innings in seven starts, at about a fifth the salary. Both of Lawrence and Latos are no longer in the picture with the former being claimed on waivers by the Seattle Mariners and the latter returned to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons of the International League.

The good news is Sanchez is expected to make his return to the rotation this weekend. But that alone won’t do much to reduce the gaudy price tag of the team’s disabled list five weeks into the season.

--

*Numbers according to Spotrac.