DURING PREFLIGHT OF A B757-200; PILOT NOTICES TWO STATOR BLADES AT THE 7-8 O'CLOCK POSITION (LOOKING FORWARD) ON #2 ENG; WERE SNAPPED IN TWO AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE STATOR. OUTBOUND FLIGHT CANCELED.

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WE WERE PLANNED TO LEAVE ZZZ AT XA39 ON ACFT X; WHICH WE TURNED DOWN FOR FLT DUE TO RECURRING SPOILER (FIXED) AND TCAS (DEFERRED) PROBS. WE WAITED IN OPS FOR A NEW ACFT AND; AT XE50; WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT THE NEW ACFT WAS AT GATE AND WE HAD A PLANNED PUSHBACK OF XF25; TO PRECLUDE OUR RUNNING OUT OF DUTY DAY (AT XF25). I ARRIVED AT GATE JUST BEFORE XF00 AND BEGAN MY PREFLT WALKAROUND OF THE ACFT. AS I MOVED TO THE REAR OF THE #2 ENG; I NOTED THAT 2 STATOR BLADES AT THE 7-8 O'CLOCK POS (AS VIEWED FROM THE BACK OF THE ENG) WERE SNAPPED IN TWO AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE STATOR. I CALLED OVER A NEARBY RAMP SUPVR AND SHOWED HIM THE DAMAGE. HE GOT ON THE RADIO AND CALLED IN THE RPT (TO WHOM; I DO NOT KNOW). SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE FLT WAS CANCELED AND OUR DUTY DAY EXPIRED. WE WERE GIVEN HOTEL ROOMS BY THE CREW DESK AND PROCEEDED TO THE HOTEL. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE ENGS WERE WARM ON THE ACFT DURING PREFLT; SO IT HAD EITHER BEEN FLOWN IN AND PARKED AT GATE OR IT WAS TAXIED BY MAINT FROM ANOTHER GATE OR THE HANGAR TO GATE. I HAVE BEEN FLYING B757'S SINCE JAN/2000 AND HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS TYPE OF DAMAGE TO STATORS ON AN ENG.