Saunders could be ready by the Blue Jays' home opener, John Lott of the National Post reports.

Saunders' original injury outlook had him out until the All-Star break, which makes this expedited timetable that much better. Saunders hit for a .273/.341/.450 slash line last season with the Mariners in just 78 games. He is slated to take over as the everyday left fielder upon his return. If he can stay healthy, he is a good corner outfield option who can provide decent power and has even been a threat on the basepathsstealing 21 bases in 2012if given the green light.

Saunders ended up having 70 percent of his meniscus removed during Friday's procedure and is now expected to miss just 4-to-6 weeks, Barry Davis of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Initial reports suggested Saunders would be out until the All-Star break after suffering a torn meniscus in his knee, but his estimated recovery time was reduced dramatically with the decision to actually have most of the meniscus removed. Saunders will leave the hospital without crutches and may be able to resume running in just two weeks. A return as soon as mid-April is now looking realistic, which, needless to say, is outstanding news for the Blue Jays.

Saunders has a torn meniscus in his knee and will be out until the All-Star Break, Sportsnet's Shi Davidi reports.

Saunders' fantasy value for the 2015 season will effectively be cut in half -- that is if he's able to return at full stength after the Midsummer Classic. Per Shi Davidi, the Blue Jays will first explore in-house options before turning to other potential solutions as spring training comes to an end. This means that Kevin Pillar and Dalton Pompey should both see consistent work during the first half, while the team may choose to get a longer look at Andy Dirks and Chris Dickerson in camp.

Saunders agreed to a one-year, $2.875 million contract with the Blue Jays on Friday, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports.

Saunders was moved from the Mariners to the Blue Jays in the offseason as part of a trade that sent back J.A. Happ to Seattle. He figures to slot in as the starting left fielder for the Blue Jays in 2015, coming off a season in which he hit .273/.341/.450 with eight home runs and 34 RBI in 78 games. Saunders will look to stay healthy following a campaign in which he missed time with knee, shoulder and oblique issues.

Saunders has been traded to the Blue Jays for J.A. Happ, per Jayson Stark.

Last season was a career-best for Saunders going by batting average, on-base,and slugging, and should only get better as he escapes Safeco Field. At age 28, Saunders is in his prime and should return to center field. Although he spent some time on the DL last season, Saunders seems headed for a career season in 2015 with a more friendly park and valuable position.

Saunders is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Angels.

Saunders will be held out with the Mariners facing left-hander C.J. Wilson on Saturday. Chris Denorfia will get the start in right field in Saunders' place.

Saunders went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI as he parked his eighth home run of the season.

It's been a tumultuous season for Saunders (.268/.332/.439) who has battled injury, inconsistent production and a lack of everyday playing time. Saunders is one of the hotter Seattle bats right now, so look for him to play the last two games of the season as the Mariners are still fighting for a playoff spot.

Saunders was a bright spot Sunday against the Astros, going 2-for-3 with a homer in the loss.

Saunders hasn't played much since returning from the DL on Sept. 8, but given how others in the lineup have slumped lately, he might get a little extra playing time over the final week-plus of the season.

Saunders is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Angels, MLB.com's Greg Johns reports.

The Mariners will rest several of their left-handed batters with southpaw Derek Holland on the mound for the Rangers. Chris Denorfia will fill in for him in the outfield.

Saunders is not in the lineup Sunday for the second straight day, according to MLB.com's Greg Johns.

Saunders will sit out a second straight day with the Mariners facing A's lefty Jon Lester on Sunday. He could return to action Monday with the Mariners scheduled to take on Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker.

Saunders is out of the lineup Saturday against the Orioles, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports.

Saunders was activated from the disabled list Monday and has started each of the four games since. He will get the day off Saturday in favor of James Jones, who will bat eighth and play right field for the Mariners.

Saunders is batting eighth and handling right field in Monday's contest against the Astros, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports.

Activated from the DL after a two-month absence due to a strained left oblique, Saunders will immediately slot into the lineup. The lack of output from those who covered right field in his place could result in an everyday gig right off the bat. However, he could also be eased into action.

Saunders (oblique) was activated from the DL on Monday, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports.

After taking nearly two months to recover from a strained left oblique, Saunders could slot into right field immediately upon his return, especially considering the underwhelming options available to manager Lloyd McClendon at the moment. During his rehab assignment at Triple-A Tacoma, Saunders supplied a base knock in six of 10 games, batting .257 (9-for-35) with two RBI, six runs scored, and a 14:11 BB:K.

Saunders (oblique) is on schedule to return from the DL prior to Monday's game against the Astros, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports.

With Dustin Ackley slumping and the Mariners currently rotating a slew of undesirable options in right field, Saunders could reclaim a starting role immediately upon his activation. Though he's been out for nearly two months, Saunders was enjoying a productive season prior to suffering the oblique injury, batting .276 with six homers and three stolen bases over 196 at-bats.

Saunders (oblique) is reporting to the Arizona League Mariners on Monday in order to restart his rehab assignment, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Initially placed on the disabled list shortly before the All-Star break due to a left oblique strain, Saunders began his assignment at Triple-A Tacoma on Aug. 7. However, paternity leave was followed by a viral infection, thereby delaying his return to the majors. Manager Lloyd McClendon mentioned to Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune on Monday that Saunders will "try to get his strength back," but it's unclear exactly how much additional recovery time the outfielder will require.

Saunders (oblique) has been pulled off his rehab assignment at Triple-A Tacoma due to a viral infection, MLB.com's Greg Johns reports.

The illness first surfaced Friday, and with Saunders not making much progress in his return to full health, the Mariners decided to temporarily remove him from the Tacoma roster. Per MLB rules, Saunders will have to wait at least five days before re-starting his assignment at Tacoma, but the Mariners could work around the issue by sending him to another affiliate. Either way, it's likely the Mariners will choose not to activate him until at least Sept. 1, when rosters expand.

Saunders will miss the next couple games due to an illness, the Seattle Times' Ryan Divish reports.

He is in the midst of a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma, but has already missed two games with the illness, and if it continues to be an issue, the Mariners may be forced to make a move to allow Saunders more time to rehab, as his assignment is up on Aug. 26.

Saunders (oblique) will continue his rehab assignment for at least a couple more days.

If you read into manager Lloyd McClendon's comments, you can tell he's not exactly eager to get Saunders back. "Most hitters, they think they can go down and get three games' worth of at-bats and say, 'I'm ready to play,'" McClendon said. "I don't know anybody that can be ready in three games. "Don't waste games here. It's too important. We've got to win them here. We ain't here to get timing down. We're here to win."

Saunders (oblique) has rejoined Triple-A Tacoma for his rehab assignment, the Associated Press reports.

Saunders left the squad after Monday's contest to attend the birth of his second child. He'll likely remain with Tacoma through the weekend, and if all goes well while he mans the outfield for a few games, an activation could come early next week.

Saunders (oblique) will play a rehab game Monday at Triple-A Tacoma before leaving the team for paternity leave, Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto reports.

Saunders is in the final stretch of his recovery from a left oblique strain, fitting in four consecutive appearances at Tacoma. Overall, he hit .417 (5-for-12) with one double, two RBI, two runs, and seven walks versus three strikeouts. Considering the frequency with which he's reached base, expect the Mariners to activate the outfielder once he's spent time with his expanded family.