Jose Berrios seems to have avoided the worst-case scenario.
After meeting with Dr. Keith Meister, the Toronto Blue Jays righty was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his pitching elbow.
José Berríos has a stress fracture in his right elbow, Schneider said.
Says it’s a “relatively good report” and that Berríos should be able to start throwing in a few days. Will miss the start of the #BlueJays season, though
— Mitch Bannon (@MitchBannon) March 18, 2026
Manager John Schneider called the diagnosis a “relatively good report,” noting that the 31-year-old hurler should be able to resume throwing in a few days, but he still won’t be ready for the start of the season.
The Jays open up their 2026 campaign on Mar. 27 against the Athletics.
Berrios discovered inflammation in his pitching elbow last week when he underwent a physical to play in the knockout round of the World Baseball Classic for his native Puerto Rico. Unable to play in the tournament, he returned to the Jays who scheduled a second MRI and sent Berrios to meet with Meister in Arlington, TX.
A native of Bayomon, Berrios’s 2025 season ended in late September when he was removed from the Jays’ rotation and placed on the injured list. He finished his season at 9-5 in 31 starts with an earned run average of 4.17 and 1.301 WHIP over 166.0 innings pitched. His decision to rehab at home rather than stay with the Jays during the World Series became a sore spot between the player and team and it was something Berrios called “a bad decision” earlier this spring.
A 10-year vet, Berrios is set to enter the fifth season of a seven-year, $131 million contract. The pact contains a player opt-out following the 2026 season.
Berrios’s status will cause further concern for Schneider as he builds his rotation for the regular season. Shane Bieber has yet to appear in game action as he deals with elbow soreness, while Max Scherzer is still ramping up to be ready to pitch and Trey Yesavage sets to embark on his first full season by having his usage limited in the Grapefruit League. Bowden Francis will miss the entirety of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.