Toronto Blue Jays pitcher José Berríos has been sidelined by inflammation in his right elbow, discovered through an MRI, preventing him from joining Puerto Rico for the quarterfinal stage of the World Baseball Classic. The injury, caught early during insurance testing, is not structural but has scratched him from a scheduled Spring Training start. Despite feeling fine, Berríos and the team are monitoring the situation closely.
In Dunedin, Florida, José Berríos underwent an MRI as part of insurance requirements to participate in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals with Puerto Rico. The scan revealed inflammation in his right elbow, leading to his exclusion from the tournament. Blue Jays manager John Schneider described it as “a different inflammation” compared to one from late last season, emphasizing that it involves no structural damage to ligaments.
Berríos expressed surprise at the findings, stating, “It’s weird. The MRI is seeing something, and what I feel is way different.” He added, “The MRI says I have inflammation, so we need to take care of that.” Schneider noted that Berríos feels great and would continue playing catch, but he was scratched from Thursday’s start. The team is in an information-gathering phase, with no symptoms prompting the test in a non-WBC year.
This setback adds to a challenging year for Berríos, who fell out of the rotation last season, entered the injured list for the first time in his career, and stepped away from the team during the World Series while still recovering. He voiced particular frustration over missing the tournament's first round in Puerto Rico, his home country. “To be honest, the most frustrating part was not going to the first round because the first round was in Puerto Rico,” Berríos said. “To play there in front of my family, my friends but also my three kids. They are grown now, so they understand more. We have love and passion for the game and playing for your country.”
For now, Berríos plans to throw off flat ground and hopes to resume Spring Training starts soon. Schneider indicated they would reassess in a few days: “We’ll see. Hopefully nothing... Hopefully, it’s nothing, but we’ll cross that bridge in a couple of days.”
The Blue Jays' pitching depth provides options if Berríos misses Opening Day, including Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Max Scherzer, and Cody Ponce.