José Berríos opting for surgery puts Blue Jays in a dilemma where they can't win

2026 is becoming the year of injuries for the Toronto Blue Jays, and there may be nobody who's going through it more than José Berrios. Dating back to September 2025, Berrios has been battling elbow issues, which forced him to miss the 2025 World Series run. Despite rehabbing in the offseason, the issues carried over to the 2026 season, as a stress fracture in his elbow set him back again.

The latest update for Berrios isn't any better, and now the Blue Jays may be left wondering what to do with the former team ace.

Jose Berrios opts for surgery, which keeps this situation from going worst to worst for the Blue Jays

Toronto's worst-case scenario for Berrios arrived Saturday morning (May 16), after it was announced that the starting pitcher opted to undergo elbow surgery, with his estimated return timeline up in the air.

The news comes no less than 24 hours after reports about Berrios seeing a specialist to get to the bottom of his elbow concerns. With the extended absence now confirmed, the Blue Jays will need to figure out how to address their thin pitching depth, especially amid current struggles to win ballgames. While that may seem like a tall task for the time being, the Blue Jays may also need to start thinking about what to do with Berrios with what's remaining on his contract.

Berrios currently has an opt-out option for the 2027 season, which, should he exercise it, would take him to the end of his seven-year, $131 million deal. There's no doubt now that Berrios would most likely opt into the rest of his contract, especially if he's out for an extended period of time. It draws similarity to Shane Bieber, who shocked everybody when he opted to stay with the Blue Jays in 2026. It was then revealed that Bieber also had his own injury concerns, which explains the opt-in.

But where do the Blue Jays go from there? Berrios' trade value has significantly diminished with all the elbow concerns (let alone the poor performance in Triple-A Buffalo). Plus, not knowing the return timeline may not be something the Blue Jays can be patient with.

Would it be ideal to release Berrios to clear up a roster spot and eat what he's owed? Will there be somebody who wants to take a chance on the two-time All-Star and trade for him? No matter what avenue the Blue Jays take, there's no easy or reasonable solution for how to approach Berrios' absence. The Blue Jays are getting great performances out of the healthy guys in the rotation right now. Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman and Trey Yesavage are doing exactly what was expected of them and Patrick Corbin has been a pleasant surprise, but by not having Berrios as an option to hold down the fifth spot, the Blue Jays will continue to search for someone who can for 2026 and possibly beyond.

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