José Berríos, Ultra-Durable Blue Jays Veteran, Hits Injured List for First Time

The Toronto pitcher had persevered for a decade without such a trip.

José Berríos's injury comes at a suboptimal time for the Blue Jays. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

For a decade, Blue Jays pitcher José Berríos had navigated big-league life without ever landing on the dreaded injured list.

Unfortunately, that streak is over. Toronto has placed Berríos on the injured list with right elbow inflammation, the team announced Thursday afternoon.

Berríos is finishing off his 10th big-league season; he's 9-5 this year with a 4.17 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 166 innings. Over the course of his solid career, he's made two All-Star teams, won a Gold Glove, and finished ninth in the American League Cy Young voting—all in different seasons.

The Blue Jays are currently locked in a tie with the Yankees atop the AL East, one of several high-profile races to close the season. Toronto owns the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Berríos could hypothetically return by Oct. 10, near the end of the American League Division Series. He is 0-2 lifetime in the playoffs with a 3.60 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 15 innings.

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