Right-handed Blue Jays José Berríos made his spring debut today, pitching 2 2/3 innings against the Mets. This is a significant step forward for the righty since his health was in trouble late last year. He told reporters, including Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, that he still had doubts about his health at this time about a year ago and that those doubts remained in his mind throughout the season.
“I threw like that last year all year,” he said. “I’ve never been in that situation before, I was just facing it. Everything was new to me. I never saw myself (not playing) that’s why I kept trying to fight and compete with my team.”
Berríos threw 166 innings last year, so it wasn’t a lost season, but he was hurt a lot due to his high levels. He made 32 full-season starts from 2018 to 2024, and 12 starts in the shortened 2020 season. He finished 2025 on the disabled list because of elbow inflammation, although he now says it was actually his biceps muscle that was inflamed, which affected his elbow.
Although he didn’t hit an IL until the end of the year, his arm may have slowed down as the season progressed, as he posted a 3.75 earned run average in the first half and a 5.15 ERA in the second. His four-seamer and sinker averaged over 94 miles per hour in his first start of the year but was under 92 mph by the end of August. He was 91-92 mph today, according to Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling, though Zwelling added that the cold conditions seemed to bother many pitchers today.
As Berríos struggled last year, he was taken out of the rotation, just before hitting IL. The Jays may start the season with it Shane Bieber in IL, so Berríos is expected to have a place in the backfield as well Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage again Cody Ponce.
A healthy and productive season from Berríos would be good for the Jays and could impact his earning potential. At the end of the year, he can opt out of his deal, leaving with two years and $48MM. He can also increase that guarantee depending on how many innings he pitches in 2026.
Sticking with rotation, left Eric Lauer he is currently outside looking. He’s shaping up to be the #6 guy right now, which could mean he starts the season at long bull, or an injury could quickly open up a roster spot for him. He spent most of 2025 in that position, alternating between starting and releasing. He finished the year with a 3.18 ERA in 104 2/3 innings over 15 starts and 13 relief appearances. He also made five postseason appearances with a 3.18 ERA.
The southpaw tells Mitch Bannon of The Athletic that he would like to have a full-time starting job, as most football players would. Bannon has floated the possibility that Lauer could end up being traded, though the Jays want him close and light as injuries will eat into their depth.
That’s a natural preference for the Jays to have as their draft depth is highly questionable. Bowden Francis he will miss a year due to Tommy John surgery. Jake Bloss he is still recovering from last year’s elbow surgery. Ricky Tiedemann he didn’t play last year because of his surgery. Adam Macko he hasn’t finished the majors yet Lazaro Estrada has just two major league games. Yariel Rodríguez He is in camp but not currently on the roster.
Keeping Lauer around lessens the likelihood that the Jays need to turn to that deep pile, but on the other hand, Lauer could still pan out. Bieber may not miss much time and the Jays are always in contact with the free agent Max Scherzer. If Scherzer is re-signed and Bieber’s arm holds up, Lauer could quickly move from sixth on the chart to eighth. At that point, the Jays may prefer to trade him for something else, instead of putting him in his grave.
Photo courtesy of Rhona Wise, Imagn Images
