Staying away from the major league due to injury is tough for a player known for his durability. But the Blue Jays’ substandard early season might have some good news soon. Star Jays pitcher José Berríos dropped a key update about his status at the moment, which should have fans hoping for his return.

“Physically, I’ve been feeling great,” he told Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith on Sunday.

But Berríos didn’t try to impose anything on manager John Schneider. Instead, he decided that “he’ll leave it the Blue Jays’ front office & coaching staff.” The only thing he wanted to make sure of for the manager and the other coaches is that he is ready for his MLB return. 

Berríos, still on his $131 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, has been on and off in his performance. He suffered a stress fracture in his right elbow in early March during the Grapefruit League in 2026, marking the second IL in his 11-year MLB career. It was a tough reality for a guy known as ‘La Makina’ for his workhorse mindset. The first was in September 2025. And this time, he was on a 15-day injury list with a scheduled return in early May. 

He was sent to Triple-A rehab, where is making his case for a return to the Jays. Berríos has thrown 55 pitches, averaging 93.5 mph with his fastballs on Wednesday. He also recorded 37 strikes. The previous week, he tossed 47 pitches, allowing 5 hits and 5 runs. This week showed a clear improvement as he recorded 4 scoreless innings, allowing only 3 hits while racking 5 strikeouts.

Earlier, John Schneider set a goal to throw around 60 to 65 pitches in the outing. And the RHP is scheduled to throw 70-75 pitches for the Buffalo Bisons in the April 28 game. The norm is for starting pitchers to return to the game once they hit the 75 mark. 

“We want to make sure we get it right with him and make sure that he’s in the best possible position. So, we’ll take that a start at a time,” general manager Ross Atkins said on April 24.

Berríos has already shown a mix of fastballs, sinkers, and changeups. His fastball peaked at 94.6 mph. If he can throw the designated number of pitches and still maintain his control, velocity, and mix, it would be a great sign for the Jays. 

Blue Jays eye rotation boost as Berríos nears return after injury rehab

This year, the Blue Jays have won 12 games and suffered 15 losses so far. The rotation struggled since the beginning of the season, as starters like Trey Yesavage and Shane Bieber, along with Berríos, were on the injury list. The Jays recorded a 4.49 ERA in the first 26 games, and they rank 24th in MLB, allowing 224 hits and 133 runs. Max Scherzer has also failed to bring out his veteran magic to lead the rotation. He is struggling with a 9.64 ERA. 

Toronto is in dire need of some positive changes. And with Yesavage returning for the Red Sox game on April 28, the Blue Jays can expect to see Berríos sometime in the near future.

It is unclear whether Schneider will try to reduce Berríos’ innings as he planned for Yesavage to avoid further injury. But it might be a likely case since he discussed a threshold of 60-65 pitches for José. Even if that happens, the fans are optimistic about seeing better results. With Berríos’ return in early May and Yesavage already in by April, the Blue Jays might be able to improve their position from 4th in the AL East.