Jose Berrios Faces Elbow Surgery Decision After Rehab Flare
jose berrios could be headed for elbow surgery after his throwing elbow flared up again during a minor league rehab stint. Blue Jays manager John Schneider said surgery is on the table, and the club is trying to cover the loss with a spot starter tomorrow.
Schneider’s Berríos Update
Berríos originally suffered a stress fracture in his throwing elbow during intake physicals for the World Baseball Classic. Schneider said he does not believe there is any ligament damage, but there may be loose bodies in the elbow along with the stress fracture.
The latest setback came during rehab, when the injury flared up again and pushed the recovery picture back into uncertainty. That leaves Toronto waiting on a decision point for a pitcher who had already been working back from a serious elbow problem rather than a routine arm issue.
Blue Jays Rotation Pressure
The timing is rough for the Blue Jays. They do not have an off day until June 1 and have 17 games between now and then, a stretch that will test a rotation already short on available starters.
Schneider said the club will use a spot starter tomorrow. With Berríos on the shelf and several other Blue Jays starters already on the injured list, the team is forced to piece together innings while the calendar offers no relief for more than two weeks.
Alejandro Kirk And Addison Barger
There was better news elsewhere in the clubhouse. Alejandro Kirk is progressing in his rehab and has responded well to catching, and he will catch Shane Bieber’s next bullpen session.
Kirk fractured his left thumb on April 3 on a foul tip and had surgery a few days later. At that point, he was projected for a six-week recovery timeline. Schneider also said Addison Barger is "doing better", with an ideal path toward hitting and throwing by next week and a return "pretty soon" after that.
For Toronto, the immediate problem is Berríos. If surgery becomes the route, the Blue Jays will need to keep patching a rotation through 17 games before June 1 while waiting to see how much of the staff they can get back in step with the schedule.
