Official: Jose Berrios will undergo elbow surgery

There has been some concern in Toronto about Jose Berrios's health for a while now. The pitcher, who hasn't pitched in the majors this season, was injured during a rehab start about ten days ago.

And since then, people have been wondering what lies ahead for him.

Yesterday, John Schneider mentioned that Berrios might need surgery, but that we'd know more today. And now it's been confirmed: the pitcher will undergo elbow surgery on Wednesday.

For now, it's not yet clear exactly what will be repaired during the surgery. They might simply clean up the fracture site… or work on the pitcher's ligaments.

He could therefore be out for a few months… or more than a year, if the ligaments need to be repaired.

Jose Berrios to undergo elbow surgery Wednesday. Specifics TBD, but the procedure will either address the fracture and loose bodies in his elbow or also deal with a ligament issue Berrios is facing

. Recovery could be as short as a couple of months or as long as 12–18 months.

— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) May 16, 2026

Obviously, this isn't ideal for the pitcher or the club. Berrios, despite his difficult 2025 season, was a valuable depth option for 2026 with the potential to help the rotation if needed.

And now, the pitcher who went nearly eight years without missing a single start could miss the entire 2026 season and, in the worst-case scenario, the entire 2027 season.

Keep in mind that Berrios has a clause allowing him to opt out of his contract at the end of this season. And considering he's unlikely to pitch much in 2026 (if he pitches at all), we shouldn't expect him to exercise that option.

We should know more about the next steps on Wednesday, following the surgery. But obviously, this isn't great news for now.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.