Jose Berrios will undergo surgery Wednesday to repair a fractured right elbow, Blue Jays manager John Schneider told Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae and other reporters. Dr. Keith Meister will perform the procedure, and it is possible that the operation may be very difficult as “there is another concern about it [Berrios’] ligament,” wrote Mae. The timeline for recovery (or whether Berrios will arrive at all in 2026) therefore won’t be known until the surgery is complete, and further testing is done for any bone damage.
Surgery is perhaps the natural end to what has been a nine-month injury to a rock once known for its toughness. Right elbow inflammation sent Berrios to the 15-day injured list at the end of the 2025 season and prevented him from participating in the Blue Jays’ postseason run. As he prepares to travel to Puerto Rico for this spring’s World Baseball Classic, tests revealed increased swelling and a stress fracture in Berrios’ right elbow.
Toronto placed Berrios on the 15-day IL to start the season, and he appeared to be on track before elbow discomfort surfaced during his minor league reassignment. Berrios had an MRI and a previous visit with Dr. Meister last week, and Schneider told reporters yesterday that surgery is possible, as Berrios may be dealing with loose tissue in his elbow area.
It’s possible that Berrios’ 2026 season could end even if he “only” deals with loose bodies and early stress fractures, given how the recovery timeline for such procedures can vary greatly. The best-case scenario would be for Berrios to make his debut in 2026 after the All-Star break, with anywhere from mid-July to mid-August being a realistic window.
If ligament damage is found, the question then becomes how much of Berrios’ 2027 season could be in jeopardy. The internal brace procedure will put the right-hander in line to return in May or June of next season. Full Tommy John surgery would require 13-15 months on the shelf, so any kind of setback in that rehab process could threaten Berrios’ ability to return before the 2027 season ends.
Turning to contract matters, Berrios has an opt-out clause in his contract that could be triggered this season, allowing him to walk the final two years and $48MM remaining on his seven-year, $131MM extension. It just didn’t seem likely that Berrios could use that exit, and the fact that he will now miss most or all of the 2026 campaign means he will stay with the Jays beyond the season.
In the short term, Berrios’ continued absence (even 2-3 more months) is extremely bad news for Toronto’s already depleted rotation. Shane Bieber he’s throwing to hitters live but hasn’t started a minor league rehab assignment, either Max Scherzer has begun to take the first steps in his recovery from arm tendinitis.
The two veterans are about a month away, but that still puts them ahead of several other Blue Jays pitchers. Cody Ponce‘s season ended with a torn ACL, a deep start Bowden Francis‘ the season is also over due to Tommy John surgery, and the swingman Lazaro Estrada he missed almost a month with a shoulder impingement. Eric Lauer he didn’t suffer a traditional injury but was hampered by a bad case of the flu, and he pitched so badly that the Jays designated Lauer for assignment.
Kevin Gausman again Dylan Cease have been the only stable members of the exchange, too Trey Yesavage he just came back from his shoulder surgery. Patrick Corbin he was signed to a one-year, $1MM contract in early April and has a respectable 3.93 ERA while spanning seven starts and 34 1/3 innings. To get a fifth starter, the Jays may have to look outside the organization for at least one more Corbin-esque addition, or move up their depth chart for a minor league signing (ie. Josh Fleming) or pitchers with little or no MLB experience.
Rule 5 draft picks Spencer Miles he’s positioned well in a relief role, and the Jays may lean toward extending Miles as the fifth starter, even if Miles may work behind the opener or be used in a piggyback capacity. Miles stopped today after opening Mason Fluharty.
In front of the bullpen, Adam Macko is in Detroit today as a member of the Jays’ pitching staff, Schneider told Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet and other media that Macko could be activated depending on the condition of the other nurses 100 percent, so that Macko will join the 26-man roster tomorrow as a new arm. Macko will be making his MLB debut whenever he appears in his first game for Toronto.
