Blue Jays pitcher Jose Berrios to undergo elbow surgery

DETROIT (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays could be without right-hander José Berríos for the remainder of the season as the veteran pitcher is scheduled to undergo elbow surgery Wednesday.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Saturday that Dr. Keith Meister will repair a stress fracture in Berríos’ elbow and also evaluate possible ligament damage during the procedure. The team will not know the full extent of the injury or Berríos’ timetable for recovery until the surgery is completed.

“There may be some ligament stuff going on,” Schneider said.

Berríos, 31, has not pitched in the majors this season after elbow inflammation was first detected during a routine MRI while he was attempting to join Puerto Rico for the World Baseball Classic in spring training. A later examination revealed the stress fracture.

Berríos tried to work his way back, making four rehab starts at Triple-A Buffalo, but continued discomfort after his May 3 outing prompted another visit with Meister. He struggled during the rehab assignment, with a 10.67 ERA over 14 1/3 innings.

Last season, Berríos went 9-5 with a 4.17 ERA in 31 appearances for Toronto before landing on the injured list in September with elbow inflammation. He missed the postseason as the Blue Jays fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Bob Tripi, The Associated Press