Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Jose Berrios was placed on the 15-day injured list on Thursday due to right elbow inflammation.
It marks the first time the 10-year veteran has been on the IL as a major leaguer.
Berrios, 31, will undergo an MRI. His velocity has dipped slightly in recent weeks, and he pitched two relief innings on Wednesday, ending a starting streak that stretched back to 2017.
“We’ll see what the MRI says, but it’s probably connected somehow with the stuff,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said before Thursday’s game against the Boston Red Sox. “Ideally, we’re not trying to put Jose in the bullpen. If his stuff is where it was in years past, we’re probably not having that conversation. How it all correlates, we’ll see what the MRI says, but he was grinding through it, for sure.”
The timing of the injury is another blow for the Blue Jays. Right-hander Chris Bassitt (back) was placed on the IL late last week, and the club is hoping he’ll be ready for a possible American League Division Series start.
Berrios is 9-5 with a 4.17 ERA in 31 appearances (30 starts). He won’t be eligible for reinstatement until Oct. 10, and that’s if everything goes smoothly in rehab.
Schneider wasn’t thrilled about being the first major league manager to have Berrios go on the IL. The Puerto Rico native did go on the minor league injury list twice before reaching the majors with the Minnesota Twins in 2016.
“Awkward,” Schneider said, “because it’s the first time, kind of like him pitching out of the ‘pen. He was good with the conversation. He just wants to figure out what’s going on. It’s been a weird second half for him. The conversation wasn’t tough by any means in the back-and-forth with him. He understood it, but it’s awkward because he’s been so consistent.”
Berrios is 108-82 with a 4.08 ERA in 273 starts plus two relief appearances for the Twins (2016-21) and Blue Jays. He is a two-time All-Star.
His last victory of the regular season came Aug. 12 against the Chicago Cubs. Berrios made five more starts before the relief appearance on Wednesday.
Toronto recalled rookie right-hander Paxton Schultz from Triple-A Buffalo in a corresponding move.
Schultz, 27, had a 4.38 ERA in 13 appearances (two starts) with the Blue Jays earlier this season.
