The Blue Jays rotation has been plagued by injuries this season, and poor performance Eric LauerToronto recently selected him for assignment, only covered the news. The only healthy starters for manager John Schneider right now Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage again Patrick Corbin – the latter a mid-season signing to help straighten things out amid a rash of injuries. The Jays will go with the starters this Saturday, manager John Schneider said last night (link via Canadian Press), but the organization is still deciding who that will be.
Toronto currently has it Shane Bieber (swelling of the elbow), Cody Ponce (ACL tear) and Bowden Francis (Tommy John surgery) in IL for 60 days. José Berríos (stress fracture in the elbow), Max Scherzer (forearm tendinitis) and Lazaro Estrada (shoulder impingement) are on the 15-day injured list. Yariel Rodriguez and Rule 5 select Spencer Miles there are long options in the bullpen. There’s no clear help on the horizon in Triple-A — at least not on the 40-man roster. Adam Macko he was working freely, who used to be high Ricky Tiedemann he’s still injured (and still suspended in 2024), too Jake Bloss is just starting to improve in rookie ball after last year’s UCL surgery.
Non-program depth options include prospects CJ Van Eyk again Chad Dallasand travelers Austin Voth again Josh Fleming. All four hit well, though Dallas has yet to go five innings in any appearance and Van Eyk has only done so twice. Dallas is currently listed as the probable starter for tonight’s game at Triple-A Buffalo. Voth and Fleming will need to remain on the major league roster if they are added or designated for assignment. Both are out of minor league options.
Schneider mentioned Miles, in particular, as one possibility, but that depends on whether he’s needed right now. The captain also admitted that the one who will start on Saturday could be someone who is not even in the organization at the moment. Trades of any real significance are rare this time of year, of course, and the Jays hope to get some strong arms off the injured roster before too long. It is unlikely that they will receive a prominent trade name in the next 48 hours, but a small exchange is possible. Free agency and the waiver wire don’t have much to offer yet.
One name the Jays don’t seem to be getting back anytime soon is Berríos. The 31-year-old suffered a fractured right elbow during the World Baseball Classic. It didn’t go well for him at the time, but the Jays played it safe and put him in the IL to start the season. He made four rehab starts but went for an MRI after a significant drop in velocity during the last of those minor league games. That new round of imaging revealed some inflammation but also a “change” in his existing stress fracture.
The Jays have been vague when it comes to updates on the right-hander in recent days. Last week, they indicated that the update could be available on Tuesday, following a personal meeting with Dr. Keith Meister. That update never came. Schneider said yesterday (via Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi) that Berríos, the Blue Jays and medical professionals are still talking about next steps.
“[T]here there will be time to relax,” said Schneider.” “You just don’t know how long it’s going to take and how it affects everybody in the rotation, everybody who’s deeply intelligent, things like that. So, it’s not worth it.”
Uncertainty about life is something new for Berríos, who entered the season as the game’s longest-tenured arm. From 2018-25, he led Major League Baseball in both games started (234) and innings pitched (1367 2/3). Berríos started a full 12-game streak in the shortened 2020 season and, before 2026, had started 30 or more games in every 162-game season since 2018. He is in the fifth season of a seven-year, $131MM contract extension that allows him to opt out and explore free agency following ’26. Given the injuries, it’s hard to imagine Berríos getting out of the $48MM left on his contract, though that’s a conversation down the road. For now, the Jays are doing everything they can to get the veteran back on the mound as they try to put this game together.
There should be an update on Berríos and the weekend rotation plans before too long, but the whole situation seems very much up in the air as things stand.
