Blue Jays get badly needed injury boost for starting rotation

The veteran right-hander struck out 5 over 4 shutout innings for Single-A Dunedin in his second rehab start. He allowed 3 hits and did not issue a walk.

That line matters on its own. But the cleaner detail for Toronto was the strike throwing, because Berrios looked more like a starter building toward a return than a pitcher just testing his elbow.

His velocity backed that up. Per Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, as cited by CBS Sports, Berrios topped out at 94.6 mph and averaged 93.5 mph with his fastball.

That is a real marker for the Blue Jays. CBS Sports noted that average sits a tick above Berrios' fastball average from the 2025 season, which is exactly what Toronto wanted to see from a pitcher coming back from an elbow issue.

The bigger picture is just as important. Berrios opened the season on the shelf because of a minor stress fracture in his elbow, so every rehab step is really about proving he can handle starter buildup without losing stuff.

Wednesday looked like progress, not just participation. Berrios threw 55 pitches, which pushed him further into true starter territory even if he is not all the way stretched out yet.

CBS Sports said he now has 2 rehab outings under his belt with Dunedin and will likely move to a higher-level affiliate for his next start. That is usually the point where a return starts feeling less theoretical.

There is still some runway left. The same report said Berrios may need 2 more minor league starts before he is ready to come off the injured list and rejoin Toronto's rotation.

That matters because the Blue Jays do not need to rush this if the stuff is trending the right way. A healthy Berrios matters more than a fast Berrios activation. That is the line Schneider and the staff have to hold now.

Still, this was the kind of outing that changes the tone. No walks, live velocity, 4 scoreless innings, and a pitch count that keeps moving upward is exactly how a starter earns the next step.

For Toronto, the takeaway is simple. Jose Berrios is not back yet, but after Wednesday, he looks a lot closer to helping a Blue Jays rotation that could use one of its proven arms again.