José Berríos has been out all season and he will miss at least 12 more months after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Ed Zurga / Getty ImagesMay 20, 2026 5:38 pm EDTNEW YORK — José Berríos underwent full Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, manager John Schneider announced, ending the right-hander’s hopes for a return to the big leagues this season.The surgery, performed by Dr. Keith Meister on Wednesday in Texas, dealt with the stress fracture, loose bodies and ulnar collateral ligament damage in Berríos throwing elbow. The procedure will keep Berríos out for the next 12-to-14 months.Since joining the Jays in 2021, Berríos has made at least 30 starts every year and has posted a 4.09 ERA. This year, he will not pitch a single inning for the MLB team. Berríos had been making rehab starts in the minor-leagues in recent weeks, hoping to join a Jays rotation that needs some more length and stability. Diminished velocity in his final Triple-A outings led to another MRI on Berríos’ elbow, which revealed further damage to the bone and ligament.
The Jays knew Berríos, who had been talking through surgical options with Meister in Texas over the last week, would be out for a while. Wednesday’s surgery brings clarity, though it wasn’t the desired result. With Shane Bieber, Cody Ponce, Bowden Francis, Max Scherzer and other Blue Jays starters also hurt, the Jays have turned to Spencer Miles and bullpens days to fill the final rotation spot. Scherzer and Bieber could potentially rejoin the rotation in the next few weeks, but both have injury questions of their own.“I think durability is huge in today’s game,” Schneider said. “I think we’ve done pretty well with that, and I think you lose a couple of them in Ponce and José. It’s frustrating for sure.”Berríos, who will almost certainly opt-in to the remaining $48 million and two years on his contract after 2026, could still return to help a future version of this Jays team. However, the Jays will have to survive with out his dependability in 2026.
