José Berrios' elbow surgery uncovered more than the Blue Jays expected. That detail makes the $48 million left on his deal an even bigger question mark.

John Schneider explained it back in May. “The bone in the elbow was on the ligament. Not ideal,” the manager said, via MLB.com.

“We kind of decided that, when they go in there, if that's compromised at all, we'll fix it. It was,” Schneider added. “He'll be down for 12 to 14 months.”

Berrios was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right elbow before undergoing Tommy John surgery on May 20.

That timeline points to a return around the middle of 2027 at the earliest.

Toronto owes him $24 million in each of the next two seasons. The contract runs through 2028.

José Berrios' track record still makes a comeback plausible

Why not write him off? Because his history says he's tough to count out.

After a rough 2022, he bounced back with a 3.65 ERA in 2023. In 2024, he went 16-11 with a 3.60 ERA.

He reached 100 career wins in April 2025, becoming just the fifth Puerto Rican-born pitcher to get there.

His career started rough, too. After dominating at Triple-A Rochester, he debuted with the Twins in 2016 and went 3-7 with an 8.02 ERA in 14 starts.

Toronto acquired him in 2021 and soon signed him to a seven-year, $131 million extension.

The Jays can't count on him for anything in 2027. The bone issue adds a layer of uncertainty to an already long recovery, and the front office has to add starters as if he won't pitch.

It's like a mechanic opening the hood for one repair and finding a second problem. The car will run again, but nobody can promise when.

If he returns by midsummer looking like the 2024 version, Toronto gets a huge bonus. If not, the final two years of that contract will be a tough bill to keep paying.