Blue Jays Pitcher Jose Berrios Receives Scary Injury Update Ahead of Season
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The Toronto Blue Jays have learned more on the injury status of veteran right-hander José Berríos following what sounded like it could be a potentially season-ending update last week.
According to a report from Arden Zwellig of SportsNet, following a meeting with Dr. Keith Meister -- which is almost never a positive sign -- Berríos is dealing with a stress fracture in his right elbow. Remarkably, the hurler is symptom-free and expected to start a throwing program in the coming days, but he will not be ready for the season.
Though a stress fracture does not sound great, it certainly beats the alternative of needing Tommy John surgery and missing the entire season as well as most of next year. How much time this costs Berríos remains to be seen, but Toronto is surely thrilled to hear he won't be out for the year.
Blue Jays Caught Major Break with Berríos News
Once the spring began, Toronto's pitching depth instantly began to dwindle with Shane Bieber dealing with a situation and Bowden Francis out for the season. Bringing back Max Scherzer eased the pain a bit, but it certainly seemed like Berríos was going to be needed to soften the blow.
For a minute, it seemed like they had lost him as well, but now it appears the stress fracture will only delay his season rather than completely derail it. How Berríos returns from the injury is anyone's guess, especially after his dramatics with leaving the team during the playoffs, but it does seem like he will be there.
If Berríos can indeed get back on the field, he will have a chance to make a huge impact.
Berríos Will Be Huge for Blue Jays When He Returns
Toronto has a very high ceiling staff after signing Dylan Cease to go along with Kevin Gausman at the top of the staff, however the depth is a little bit of a question mark and someone like Berríos could go a long way towards answering it.
Before the injury that wound up preventing him from playing in the playoffs, Berríos had been among the more reliable arms in baseball in terms of making starts. He has made 127 appearances over the last four seasons and posted a 4.14 ERA and 1.26 WHIP for a bWAR of 5.4.
While the numbers are unremarkable, he is a true innings eater who has given the Blue Jays a lot over the years. If he can get back to full health, there's no reason to think this will not be the case again.
Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.