Jordan Romano felt elbow soreness after long tossing from 120ft. He’s being shut down from throwing for a couple of days. The plan WAS to have him throw off a mound today/tomorrow “Not ideal” John Schneider said given Yimi Garcia is also dealing with elbow issue. #BlueJays
Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano shut down after feeling elbow soreness during his long toss on Friday
Photo credit: © Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 22, 2024, 18:00 EDTUpdated: Jun 22, 2024, 18:09 EDT
The Blue Jays bullpen isn’t going to get any better any time soon.
It was reported on Saturday afternoon by multiple sources that Jordan Romano felt soreness in his elbow throwing from 120 feet (long toss) on Friday.
The Canadian right-handed pitcher has been the team’s closer since 2021 and has 103 saves in the past three + seasons, with just 13 blown saves. Prior to the 2024 season, Romano had a 2.37 ERA and a 3.13 FIP in 186 innings pitched since the start of the 2022 season. Moreover, he had a 30.3 K% and a 9.2 BB% in that span.
However, the 2024 season has been a mess for the 6’5” righty. He missed the first few weeks of the season due to right elbow inflammation, before being taken off the Injured List on April 16. He has appeared in 15 games this season, with a 6.59 ERA and a 6.14 FIP in 13.2 innings pitched, along with a significant drop in his K% (21%) while posting his lowest BB% in his career at 6.5%.
MATT VIERLING ENDS IT WITH ONE SWING OF THE BAT!
The elbow flared up once again, and Romano was placed on the 15-day Injured List once again on May 31. His replacement, Yimi García, is also on the 15-day Injured List thanks to an elbow injury.
Seen as a strength heading into the 2024 season, the Blue Jays bullpen has been plagued with injuries and poor performance. An example of this is setup man Erik Swanson, who was great in 2023, before being placed on the Injured List around the same time as Romano to start the season. Once he returned, he struggled with the long-ball and was optioned to Triple-A, where his struggles have continued.
Overall, the Blue Jays’ bullpen has a 4.54 ERA in 263.2 innings pitched, the sixth-worst in the league. The FIP is even worse, as their 4.83 FIP is the worst in the league, largely due to giving up a ton of home runs. Toronto’s 1.50 HR/9 is the worst in the league as well.
Hopefully, Romano is healthy and ready to pitch in the near future.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.
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