Overview
- Manager John Schneider confirmed Wednesday that Dr. Keith Meister in Texas began the planned elbow surgery to remove loose bodies and determined the UCL was compromised, prompting a full Tommy John reconstruction.
- Medical timelines in reporting place recovery at roughly 12 to 18 months, which rules Berríos out for the rest of the 2026 season and likely much of 2027.
- An earlier spring training MRI had revealed a stress fracture and Berríos made four minor-league rehab starts before being shut down after reduced fastball velocity and a 10.67 ERA prompted further evaluation.
- Berríos is under a seven-year, $131 million extension with $24 million owed in each of the next two seasons, so the team will carry his guaranteed salary while he rehabs and the roster will lose a reliable veteran starter.
- The surgery compounds an already thin Toronto rotation and increases the likelihood of roster moves or trade‑deadline additions as the club searches for innings and depth over the rest of the season.