José Berríos will undergo elbow surgery next week

José Berríos’ 2026 season took a turn for the worse on Saturday morning.

Prior to the Toronto Blue Jays taking on the Detroit Tigers in the middle game of their three-game series, Blue Jays manager John Schneider announced that the right-hander will undergo right elbow surgery on Wednesday.

The procedure, done by Dr. Keith Meister, will treat the stress fracture he was originally diagnosed with in spring training, and potentially deal with some loose bodies that have recently been discovered. While no ligament damage has been found yet, there is the threat that the ligaments may need repairing. The ligaments will be looked at once the procedure is underway.

Berríos has been trying to work his way back to the Blue Jays’ rotation after being placed on the 15-day injured list prior to Opening Day. Over four rehab starts, two with Single-A Dunedin, and two with Triple-A Buffalo, the 31-year-old has struggled, pitching to a record of 0-1 with a 10.67 ERA and 1.81 WHIP.

News: José Berríos will undergo right elbow surgery on Wednesday. It will treat his fractured right elbow and potential loose bodies, but Schneider adds:

“There may be some ligament stuff going on. They’re going to figure that out when they’re in there.” #BlueJays

The right-hander has struggled to miss bats, allowing opposing batters to hit .322, a concerning sign for a pitcher who has a career MLB average against of .246. The results, which don’t matter a whole lot for a veteran who is working his way back to the big leagues, weren’t the biggest red flag during his rehab stint. Berríos’ velocity, which generally was in the mid-90s last season, only averaged 90.1 MPH during his fourth rehab start back on May 3.

After making 32 starts in each of the past six full seasons, Berríos made his first trip to the big league injured list last September, originally dealing with right elbow inflammation. The IL stint came after Berríos was moved to the bullpen down the stretch, a move which left the veteran with a great deal of frustration. Berríos was not with the Blue Jays during their postseason run to the World Series, but he apologized for his absence early in spring training.

Berríos finished last season with a 9-5 record, a 4.17 ERA and 1.30 WHIP across 31 appearances (30 starts). The right-handed pitcher is currently in the midst of a seven-year, $131 million contract that has an opt-out clause following this season. The opt-out is a player option, and with the injury struggles this season, Berríos is a safe bet to opt-in prior to next season, leaving the Blue Jays on the hook for $24 million AAV in 2027 and 2028.

An updated timeline for Berríos’ return will be known once the surgery is completed.

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