The news keeps getting worse and worse for Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jose Berrios.
After being denied insurance clearance to pitch for Team Puerto Rico for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Berrios faces another hurdle.
Berrios’ physical for the tournament revealed elbow inflammation, according to MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson. While an MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage, the inflammation was still enough to warrant concern.
In the wake of this unexpected turn of events, Berrios is visiting renowned elbow specialist Dr. Keith Meister to give his opinion, according to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.
Berrios will not throw until after that visit.
At this point, there’s no indication that Berrios is dealing with a major injury due to not even being in any pain. Regardless, it’s something to keep an eye on.
What’s Next For Berrios and the Toronto Blue Jays?
The Minnesota Twins drafted Berrios in the first round of the 2012 MLB Draft from Puerto Rico.
With Minnesota, he made two All-Star rosters, but overall, he pitched to a 4.08 ERA in 136 games (six seasons). That was mostly inflated by an 8.02 ERA rookie season in 2016.
In 2021, Berrios was traded to the Blue Jays in exchange for Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson.
Berrios was great in 2021, pitching to a 3.58 ERA with Toronto and a 3.48 ERA with Minnesota. This led to a ninth-place finish in Cy Young voting for Berrios.
In 2022, he posted a 5.23 ERA, but he has pitched well since.
Berrios brings durability, a trait not often seen among major league pitchers today. He has pitched 175+ innings in five of his eight full seasons (2020 COVID season and his rookie season not counting).
He also has a solid glove for a pitcher, winning a Gold Glove Award in 2023.
However, his advanced stats, per Baseball Savant, tell a story of an inconsistent pitcher. Despite posting a respectable 4.17 ERA in 2025, all of Berrios’ advanced stats were below-average to average.
His fastball has gotten hit more often than in previous years. However, his slurve and changeup are still his best pitches.
What Is Berrios’ Role in Toronto?
Coming off a World Series appearance, Toronto improved its pitching even more.
They signed Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce in free agency, while bringing back Max Scherzer on an incentive-laden deal.
This adds to a rotation with Berrios, Kevin Gausman and sensational rookie Trey Yesavage.
Yesavage very well could win American League Rookie of the Year, despite being a back-end of the rotation starter, albeit on an elite team.
All signs currently point to a six-man rotation. Berrios will be a part of that, at least for now.
Toronto is dealing with injuries to Shane Bieber and Bowden Francis. Bieber will start the season on the IL. Francis underwent Tommy John surgery and is out for the season.
With Toronto’s pitching depth, they should be able to make another run at a World Series trophy. Fans will just have to hope that Berrios’ injury isn’t too serious and that he can return to action soon.
Blue Jays’ Jose Berrios News Sparks Injury Concern