More questions than answers for Blue Jays after Jose Berrios visits with specialist

Whatever the Toronto Blue Jays were hoping to get out of José Berrios this year, it's time to reevaluate those expectations.

The 31-year-old right-hander suffered a setback during his rehab assignment earlier this month, a result of soreness in the same elbow he fractured back in March. That's never a combination of words you want to hear when discussing a veteran pitcher, but it seems the situation is only devolving further; Berrios has no timetable to return, as he's now visiting with doctors to discuss the future of his recovery.

In his stead, the Blue Jays will use a spot starter this weekend, though we currently have no clue who that will be. Spencer Miles is the long-man in the bullpen and is best-suited to eat a number of innings, though Yariel Rodriguez also has some starting experience on his ledger.

This amount of uncertainty isn't befitting of a reigning pennant winner, but the Blue Jays have been navigating these waters all year long. The club will need to find a way to survive until reinforcements arrive, either via trade or the injured list.

José Berrios facing uncertain future that only further complicates Blue Jays' plans

The gap in the current rotation picture was created by the team's decision to release Eric Lauer, who wasn't getting the job done. That choice was made independently of Berrios' situation, though this latest update only increases concerns about the rotation's ability to tread water.

We know Berrios suffered a velocity dip and "changes" to his initial stress fracture in his final rehab appearances, which suggests that he's not returning any time soon. He may not be in season-ending territory quite yet, but elbow inflammation/soreness + velocity drop + huge arm mileage (he led the league in innings pitched from 2018-25) is not a formula that portends good health in the immediate future.

It was a virtual certainty that the team would trade for a starting pitcher over the summer; perhaps Berrios' setback accelerates that timeline. No one else currently on the injured list (Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, or even Lazaro Estrada) sounds particularly close to returning, and moving Miles into the rotation on a full-time basis will only thin out the bullpen.

Still, even if the team does complete a trade for a starting pitcher, that would only leave the Blue Jays with five healthy starters and no immediate depth available. Barring a miraculous turn of events with Berrios, that may be the best the team can do for now, tenuous though that position may be.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow