José Berríos’ 2026 season ended before it began after he underwent Tommy John surgery for a right elbow stress fracture. The need for full surgery became clear after initial uncertainty about whether a cleanup procedure would be sufficient. Berríos was symptom-free during spring training, when an MRI revealed the fracture after the club pursued imaging following insurance denial for the World Baseball Classic. After initial consultation, he continued pitching without pain. Additional imaging and a second visit with Dr. Keith Meister found ligament damage, leading to season-ending surgery. The recovery timeline is expected to be 12 to 18 months, likely extending into the first half of next year or longer.
"The 31-year-old starter underwent Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, as Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider revealed prior to first pitch. It was initially unclear if he'd require full TJ surgery or a clean-up procedure to address the stress fracture in his right elbow. Now that Berríos has encountered the worst-case scenario, he'll be sidelined for the remainder of this season and likely the first half of next year, if not longer."
"Berríos was originally symptom-free back during spring training when an MRI - prompted by the club once the native of Puerto Rico was denied insurance coverage to participate in March's World Baseball Classic - revealed the fracture in his right elbow. But after meeting with Dr. Keith Meister the first time, all involved decided he could continue pitching as long as he felt no pain or discomfort. The Blue Jays sent Berríos for additional imaging and a second visit with Dr. Meister, who recommended season-ending TJ surgery after ligament damage was discovered."
"As a result, one of baseball's most durable starters is now facing a 12-18 month recovery timeline. This is a devastating and unfortunate outcome for not only the team, which is still without a fifth starter (though Spencer Miles appears to be the bulk guy in that spot for now), but also for Berríos. He had been as consistent and durable as they come, avoiding the injured list for his entire career until finishing last season on the shelf, ending his streak of 32 starts per year at six seasons (excluding 2020)."
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