Yimi Garcia's long road back to the majors just took another difficult turn.
The Toronto Blue Jays right-hander is being sent for evaluation regarding thoracic outlet syndrome, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, after dealing with neck discomfort during his rehab assignment.
It's been more than a year since Garcia last pitched in the majors, a stretch defined by one setback after another.
He first went down with an ankle injury in early July of last season, then hurt his elbow while working his way back from that issue, ultimately requiring a procedure that ended his 2025 campaign entirely.
Garcia opened this season on the 15-day injured list before shifting to the 60-day IL at the end of April.
His rehab assignment has been paused and restarted multiple times since. He made his first appearance in early May, didn't pitch again until late that month, then appeared in six games between Single-A and Triple-A in June before stopping again midway through.
He returned to Dunedin over the weekend and fired a clean frame, but came out of it battling neck pain, the issue that's now prompting this latest evaluation.
Why this update matters even with Toronto out of contention
Garcia put together real success with Toronto from 2022 to 2024 before a 2024 deadline trade sent him to Seattle, where he struggled before returning to the Blue Jays as a free agent.
He pitched to a 3.86 ERA over 22 games last year before the ankle injury, picking up three saves and six holds as a key setup arm ahead of closer Jeff Hoffman.
With Toronto sitting at 48-58 and out of realistic contention, a healthy Garcia wouldn't have meant much for this year's roster anyway, his primary value being as a potential trade chip in the final year of a $7.5 million deal.
His underwhelming minor league results haven't helped either, with his fastball down 2 mph across four Triple-A outings compared to his 2025 velocity.
It's a bit like watching a long home renovation project hit yet another delay, each fix uncovering a new problem before the last one's even fully resolved.
Does this latest evaluation signal Garcia's season, and possibly his time in Toronto, is effectively over, or is there still a path back before his contract expires?
Do you think Yimi Garcia pitches for the Blue Jays again this season?
Also read on Blue Jays Insider :
Insider Jeff Passan reveals new details on Kevin Gausman trade
