Blue Jays lose key bullpen piece ahead of crucial stretch

The 2025 season is over for Toronto Blue Jays reliever Yimi Garcia. According to Sportsnet reporter Hazel Mae, Garcia will have elbow surgery and is now out for the remainder of the season. Mae also tweeted that the surgery was to clear out scar tissue in his elbow.

It wasn't the news the Blue Jays were hoping to get regarding someone they considered to be a key piece to the back end of the rotation. The 35-year-old right hander had produced solid numbers in his 22 appearances for the 2025 Blue Jays. He posted a 3.86 ERA in 21 innings pitched. He gave up just 13 hits, while striking out 25 hitters. He produced a 1.190 WHIP and hitters only managed a .224 BABIP against him.

He really was one of the key contributors early in the season when he was dominating hitters in April, allowing just four hits, striking out 14 hitters and giving up just three walks with a 0.677 WHIP in 10.1 innings in that first month of the year. Unfortunately, injuries have taken their toll on Garcia who could've really helped the Blue Jays at a time when their bullpen is leaking oil.

The Jays' bullpen woes this month have been well documented, especially when allowing free passes to the opposition. With the trade deadline gone, Toronto are limited in their options to fixing the issues that are currently plaguing them. While they signed an old friend in Ryan Borucki to a minor league deal earlier this week, a guy like Garcia would have really helped beef up the bullpen and provided some much needed...relief for the relievers.

The Blue Jays signed Garcia to a two-year deal in the offseason, bringing him back into the the organization just a few months after they traded him to the Seattle Mariners at the 2024 trade deadline. Garcia will look to bounce back in the second year of that deal in 2026, where he is owed $7.5 million.