Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Elbow MRI shows inflammation
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Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Friday that an MRI on Berrios' right elbow showed inflammation and "small changes to that initial injury with the elbow," Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Berrios had previously been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his elbow. He will visit Dr. Keith Meister on Tuesday for an additional exam before the next steps are determined. Berrios had been closing in on a return before his recent setback, but his status now is very much up in the air.
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Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Undergoing MRI on elbow
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Berrios will undergo an MRI on his right elbow after he felt more sore than normal following his rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday, Brian Murphy of MLB.com reports.
Berrios -- who is coming back from a stress fracture in his elbow -- was roughed up for seven earned runs on six hits and four walks across 3.2 innings in the outing. More will be known about his status after the MRI results are in, but even if he's cleared of any additional damage, Berrios' return to the Blue Jays' active roster doesn't appear imminent. Eric Lauer will likely continue to hold down a spot in the Toronto rotation.
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Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Roughed up in fourth rehab start
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Berrios (elbow) surrendered seven earned runs on six hits and four walks while striking out one batter across 3.2 innings in his rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Buffalo.
Berrios tossed exactly 70 pitches for the second straight rehab appearance, but he lacked both command and control once again. After beginning his rehab assignment with a pair of starts in the Florida State League, Berrios has posted a 14.09 ERA, 2.22 WHIP and 3:6 K:BB while serving up five home runs over 7.2 innings since shifting to Triple-A. At this point, Berrios looks to be fully stretched out for a starting role, but his poor results in his last two outings with Buffalo don't offer much confidence that he would represent an upgrade over Eric Lauer at the back end of the rotation. The Blue Jays may wait and see how Lauer fares during his upcoming start Monday at Tampa Bay before determining Berrios's next steps.
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Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Slated for one more rehab start
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Berrios (elbow) will appear in one more rehab outing with Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Berrios wasn't great in his last rehab appearance with Buffalo on Wednesday, when he tossed 70 pitches and allowed five runs on five hits (including two homers) and two walks while striking out two across four innings. With Berrios scheduled to pitch Sunday, he could rejoin the Blue Jays for their weekend home series against the Angels that kicks off Friday, May 8, barring any setbacks.
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Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Could rejoin rotation Monday
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Berrios (elbow) could rejoin the Blue Jays' rotation Monday against the Rays, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Berrios wasn't sharp in his last rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday, giving up five earned runs on five hits and two walks over four innings. He did get stretched out to 70 pitches, however, and the stress fracture in his right elbow that sent him to the injured list doesn't appear to be giving him any trouble. The Blue Jays will talk with Berrios to see how he feels before making a determination on Monday's starter. It will either be Berrios or Eric Lauer, and Berrios could have the edge in large part due to Lauer's bullpen experience.
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Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Endures bumpy rehab start
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Berrios (elbow) struck out two and allowed five earned runs on five hits -- including two home runs -- and two walks across four innings Tuesday in his rehab start for Triple-A Buffalo.
After making his first two rehab appearances with Single-A Dunedin, Berrios moved up to the Blue Jays' top affiliate for the third outing of his assignment. The right-hander built up to 70 pitches Wednesday and sported a fastball that sat around 92 miles per hour, but he wasn't especially sharp over his four innings. While Berrios appears to be stretched out enough to take over a spot in the big-league rotation, the Blue Jays may prefer to keep him in the minors for one more tune-up outing before bringing him back from the 15-day injured list.
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Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Sharp in second rehab start
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Berrios (elbow) struck out five over four shutout innings Wednesday in a rehab start with Single-A Dunedin. He scattered three hits and didn't issue a walk.
Per Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, Berrios topped out at 94.6 miles per hour and averaged 93.5 mph with his fastball, a tick above his average from the 2025 season. Berrios now has two outings under his belt with Dunedin and will likely join a higher-level affiliate for his next start as he continues to get stretched back out after opening the season on the shelf due to a minor stress fracture in his elbow. The right-hander tossed 55 pitches Wednesday, so he may need two more starts in the minors before potentially returning from the injured list and joining the Toronto rotation.
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Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Making next rehab start Wednesday
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Berrios (elbow) will make his next rehab start Wednesday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Berrios is in line for his second rehab start after working 2.2 innings for Single-A Dunedin on Thursday. He fired 47 pitches during Thursday's appearance, so it's fair to expect him to stretch out a bit more during Wednesday's outing. It remains to be seen whether Berrios will need an additional rehab start after Wednesday before being activated from the 15-day injured list.
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Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Starting rehab assignment
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Berrios (elbow) will report to Single-A Dunedin on Thursday to begin a rehab assignment, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
The veteran right-hander is scheduled to throw about 50 pitches across three innings, and he may not require a lengthy rehab assignment before being cleared to come off the injured list. Berrios didn't seem to have a guaranteed rotation spot during spring training given Toronto's offseason additions, but he should get that opportunity based on the injuries the Blue Jays have dealt with early this season.
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Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Rehab start coming next week
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Berrios (elbow) is expected to begin a rehab assignment next week, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Berrios has a stress fracture in his right elbow, but he's been progressing in a throwing program without issue the last couple weeks. Exactly when and where his first rehab start will take place hasn't been determined, but Berrios will target 50 pitches in the outing. He could be ready to rejoin the Blue Jays' active roster around May 1 if all goes well.
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Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Facing hitters again Tuesday
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Berrios (elbow) is scheduled to face hitters in live batting practice again Tuesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Over the weekend, Berrios faced hitters for the first time since being diagnosed in mid-March with a stress fracture in his right elbow and apparently responded well. He'll repeat the activity Tuesday, and if all goes well, the veteran right-hander could then be sent out on a minor-league rehab assignment. Heading into spring training, Berrios had been on the outside looking in for a starting role with the big club, but with injuries having tested Toronto's pitching depth through the first two weeks of the season, he could have a clearer path to a rotation spot once he gets healthy.
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Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Will face hitters this weekend
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Berrios (elbow) threw a bullpen session Tuesday and is expected to face hitters Saturday, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
The veteran righty is on the shelf due to a stress fracture in his elbow, but he's attempting to rehab it without surgery. Berrios had built up to 63 pitches in his last spring outing before being shut down, so once he's cleared to begin a minor-league rehab assignment, he may need only one or two starts. The Blue Jays' pitching depth has been tested early, with Cody Ponce (knee) the latest starter to go down. but Berrios appears to be on track to return before the end of April and beat both Trey Yesavage (shoulder) and Shane Bieber (forearm) back to the active roster.
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Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Will throw off mound this week
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Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Thursday that Berrios (elbow) will throw off the mound before the end of this week, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
Berrios was diagnosed last week with a stress fracture in his right elbow, but he and the Blue Jays believe that the hurler will be able to pitch through the injury. The right-hander hasn't made a game appearance in three weeks, so even if things go smoothly with his elbow, Berrios will need time to get built up before Toronto considers him for its rotation.
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Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Placed on 15-day injured list
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The Blue Jays placed Berrios (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday.
Berrios was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his pitching elbow last week. The right-hander hopes to resume throwing soon, but the possibility exists that he'll need ample down time. Eric Lauer will slide into the Toronto rotation in Berrios' place.
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Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Will visit doctor Tuesday
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Berrios will have an in-person visit with a doctor Tuesday to evaluate his elbow inflammation, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Dr. Keith Meister has viewed Berrios' MRI, but the veteran right-hander will meet with the specialist in person to determine the best course of action. Berrios dealt with elbow inflammation and a biceps issue down the stretch last season. The 31-year-old has started three games this spring, registering a 3.38 ERA and 7:4 K:BB across 10.2 innings.
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Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Scratched with elbow inflammation
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Berrios was scratched from his scheduled Grapefruit League start against the Phillies on Thursday due to right elbow inflammation, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
The injury was revealed on an MRI during the insurance process for the World Baseball Classic, for which Berrios was denied a chance to participate. The right-hander dealt with elbow inflammation down the stretch last year and also pitched through a biceps issue, but the current inflammation is apparently unrelated. Berrios said he's not experiencing any pain, and he'll continue to throw over the next few days as he continues to be evaluated.
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Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: No-hits Yankees over four frames
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Berrios gave up zero hits or runs over four innings Saturday in the Blue Jays' split-squad game against the Yankees. He struck out two and walked two.
The 31-year-old right-hander is looking to bounce back from a tough 2025 season, and Berrios was impressive Saturday against a New York lineup that featured Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm and other Opening Day starters. Berrios picked up velocity as the outing progressed, and his fastest pitch of the day registered at 94.5 mph on a four-seamer to top prospect Spencer Jones in the third inning -- a very good sign after he averaged just 93.0 mph with the pitch last season over 166.0 regular-season innings, the lowest mark of his career. With Shane Bieber (forearm) set to miss Opening Day and begin the year on the IL, there's a spot in the rotation for Berrios, but he'll need to show last year's injuries and struggles are behind him to claim it.
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Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Pitched through biceps injury
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Berrios revealed Monday that he pitched through a biceps tendon injury throughout the 2025 season, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
Berrios admitted that he was already feeling less than 100 percent health-wise during spring training last year, but he didn't find out until September following an MRI that he had a biceps tendon issue. The righty wound up making 30 starts for the seventh consecutive non-COVID season, but he had a 5.15 ERA after the All-Star break and was demoted to the bullpen late in the year. Berrios said Monday that he's fully healthy now, and he is the leading candidate to serve as the Blue Jays' fifth starter while Shane Bieber (forearm) recuperates.
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Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Role uncertain heading into camp
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Berrios (elbow) doesn't have a clear path to a spot in the Blue Jays rotation to begin the season, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Berrios endured a tough 2025, finishing the regular season on the IL due to a sore elbow and then getting left off the postseason roster. The veteran right-hander has made 30-plus starts in five straight seasons, with last year's 166.0 innings representing his lowest total for a full campaign since 2017 with Minnesota, but Toronto's offseason moves to bring in Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce seem to have Berrios ticketed for the Opening Day bullpen. He still has three years and $67 million left on his contract as well, which will make him tough to trade given his mediocre 4.17 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 11.8 percent K%-BB% in 2025. With Shane Bieber (forearm) and Trey Yesavage both having potential workload concerns, however, Berrios could still end up getting plenty of starts in 2026 while filling a swingman role.
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Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Potential return ruled out
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Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Monday that Berrios (elbow) has resumed throwing but will not be on the World Series roster, should his team advance, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Berrios' last appearance came Sept. 24 and his last start was Sept. 16, as he's been shelved for nearly a month with right elbow inflammation. While it's good news that he's been cleared to resume a throwing program, the window for him to pitch in games again in 2025 has closed. Barring a setback, Berrios should have a normal offseason.
