Injured Blue Jays Starter Struggles During Latest Rehab Assignment

Apr 3, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider looks on from the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Injured Blue Jays Starter Struggles During Latest Rehab Assignment

Originally posted on Toronto Blue Jays on SI
By Maddy Dickens | Last updated May 3, 2026 7:00 PM ET

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The Toronto Blue Jays are so close to getting to .500 after falling victim to the dreaded injured list before the season opener even commenced, as key players have not suited up for the ballclub in 2026 including starting pitcher Jose Berrios.

Berrios has been dealing with a stress fracture in his elbow, which should not deter his season much longer, but his rehab assignments have been less than ideal and if/when he returns to the roster manager John Schneider wants to make sure he is back for good.

So, how much longer should the Jays wait to activate Berrios back to the roster?

Well, his latest rehab assignment makes that tricky as he pitched under four innings, but allowed seven earned runs while walking four in Triple-A, including a grand slam. This isn't the confidence-building performance that would throw Berrios back into the majors for his season debut.

In the minor leagues this year, Berrios has a 10.67 ERA in 14 innings with six homers as hitters are batting over .320 against him. The Blue Jays need another starter, but bringing Berrios back before he is ready isn't optimal.

Why the Blue Jays Really Need Another Arm in the Rotation

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

There is an obvious reason as to why the Jays are begging for some depth amongst their starting pitchers — injuries. Injuries have plagued this rotation as Berrios is not the only player who the team has been without.

Yes, rising ace Trey Yesavage is finally back, but the ballclub is still without Berrios, Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, and will likely not have Cody Ponce back for the rest of the season, as he underwent ACL surgery after going down in his 2026 debut.

At this point, Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, and Patrick Corbin are holding the fort down, but if anything else were to happen, the team would have no options. This trio has been excellent, but the Jays are barely limping along and desperately need someone to rejoin the team.

There are a couple of reasons that Berrios could rejoin the roster for his next start:

Injured players
The Jays are going into a six-game homestand

The rule of thumb for any sport is that a player is going to do better on their home turf with fans backing them, so Berrios's return coming at Rogers Centre would be the best situation for the pitcher as Toronto is one of the hardest places for away clubs to win at.

There truly is no telling as to when Berrios will rejoin the ballclub, and it won't be surprising if it is his next start, or not. His rehab assignments haven't gone well, but the pitching staff is bleeding. Only time will tell as to what is going to happen here, and in normal circumstances, Berrios would not come back quite yet.

But these are not normal circumstances.

This article first appeared on Toronto Blue Jays on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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