Is 'La Makina' Cooked? What the José Berríos Injury Means His Phenomenal Career?

Grab a stool and a beverage, because this week on the therapeutic couch of the Jay Bird Watching Podcast, we got hit with a heavy dose of reality. We knew something bad was brewing with the velocity drops and the ups and downs on the mound, but the news finally hit: José Berríos has ligament damage and is officially heading for Tommy John surgery. The soon to be 32-year old pitcher has been the definition of consistency for a decade. His first true stint on the IL is proving to be his biggest potential battle. 

The Hidden Injury

The most frustrating part of this development is that the warning signs have been there for a while. As Ryan pointed out on the show, we saw his velocity drop back in August of last year. Even wilder, Berríos had a stress fracture in his elbow discovered during his physical for the World Baseball Classic. He was told not to touch it, but because he felt fine, he tried to wait it out and pitch through it.

He had a few really good starts before everything went sideways down in Dunedin, and his subsequent promotion to Buffalo proved he just didn't have his stuff anymore. We all love the grit and the "La Makina" mentality he brings to the mound, but it definitely makes you wonder if shutting him down and visiting a surgeon back in October could have changed this entire timeline.

Is He Cooked?

That brings us to the biggest question dropped by Liz during the episode: Is he cooked?.

Berríos turns 32 years old on May 27th, meaning he is essentially having Tommy John surgery right on his birthday. While some younger players are bouncing back from the surgery and throwing at the major league level in 12 months, the panel agreed that an 18-month rehab is far more likely given his age and the desire not to rush him back.

How is he mentally going to return and grind through the rehab? Someone very involved in the routine of the 5-day starting pitcher setup is vastly different. The perks for Berrios is he is signed as a Blue Jay through the 2028 season and will have the tools at one of the best player facilities in baseball to put the work in. The Players Complex in Dunedin, FL, is ready for those who put the work in and have the state-of-the-art equipment and personnel to get them back. 

The Future for Berríos

On paper, Berríos is locked in as a Blue Jay through the 2028 season. But Liz offered a sobering take for the fans, stating she believes this might be the end of his time playing Major League Baseball. The JBW team predicted that if he does not possible pitch again, it could likely be in Korea, Japan, Mexico, or even Banana Ball, rather than in a Jays uniform.

However, Jason offered a much-needed sliver of hope to the bar room, pointing out that Justin Verlander successfully recovered from the same surgery at 37 years old.

Will La Makina be able to pull off a Verlander-esque comeback, or have we seen the last of him in Toronto? Pull up to the comment section and let us know your thoughts!