Yimi Garcia Not Ready for Blue Jays’ Opening Day Roster

This piece breaks down Yimi Garcia’s abrupt 2025 season-ending elbow surgery and the timeline for his return to the mound with the Toronto Blue Jays. It also digs into what his injury history and recent performance could mean for the bullpen this coming season. There’s a look at his contract and how he fits behind closer Jeff Hoffman in Toronto’s late-inning plans.

Season-ending elbow surgery and Opening Day outlook

Garcia had surgery to remove scar tissue from his throwing elbow after his 2025 season ended early. He told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi that he’s “100 percent” not going to be ready for Opening Day on March 27.

He expects to begin throwing off a mound soon. There’s hope he could return relatively early in the season, maybe after a short stint on the 15-day injured list.

The veteran right-hander didn’t pitch after July 2, 2025, since his elbow issues came back while he was rehabbing an ankle sprain. Even with the layoff, Garcia managed a 3.60 ERA and a 30.5% strikeout rate across his last 60 innings.

That’s the kind of impact he can have as a late-inning option, if he’s healthy. Toronto will keep a close eye on his recovery as the season approaches, hoping he’s back sooner than later to steady the late innings.

Projected return timeline

Opening Day is out of the question, but Garcia plans to start throwing off a mound soon and slowly ramp up. If his arm strength and command come back quickly, the Blue Jays could get him back in the mix early in the season, maybe after a short IL stay.

Where he fits once he’s ready will probably depend on how the bullpen looks and whether other setup options are healthy and effective.

A tough injury history shaping his recent seasons

Garcia’s last few years have been pretty rough, injury-wise. In 2024, he missed time with neuritis and elbow inflammation, and in 2025, he dealt with a shoulder impingement that kept him out for 60 days.

The ankle sprain just piled on, and then elbow problems showed up again during rehab. That limited him to 61 appearances and 60 innings between the Blue Jays and Mariners from 2024 to 2025.

He’s shown he can be effective when he’s actually available. Before the 2025 shutdown, he posted a 3.60 ERA with strong strikeout numbers, which is why Toronto went after him in free agency and at the trade deadline.

Still, his ongoing health issues make it hard not to wonder about how much he can handle and how the team should manage his workload. He’s been a trusted late-inning arm when he’s right, but that’s starting to feel less certain.

Performance snapshot and what it signals

During his last healthy stretch, Garcia’s numbers looked solid on a per-inning basis. But the walk rate in 2025 jumped to 13.3%, a big jump from 7.8% in 2024.

Maybe that’s just rust from injury or needing to readjust after time off. Over those 60 innings, he still showed a strong strikeout rate at 30.5%, so the upside is there if he’s feeling good.

How well he balances power and control will probably decide how much Toronto leans on him when he’s back.

Contract, role, and bullpen responsibilities in Toronto

Toronto re-signed Garcia last winter to a two-year, $15 million deal after trading for him at the 2024 deadline. They saw him as a key late-inning arm who could help steady a bullpen that needed more depth in big moments.

Even with all the setbacks, the organization clearly still believes in his ability to handle the late innings. When healthy, Garcia was supposed to join Louis Varland and Tyler Rogers as top setup options for closer Jeff Hoffman.

The idea was for those three to give Toronto some different looks and bridge the gap to Hoffman. Now, it’s just a matter of whether Garcia can bounce back quickly enough to reclaim that setup spot and how the Jays juggle his innings with Varland and Rogers.

Competition for late-inning duties

• Garcia’s health might decide if he takes on the main setup job or splits it with other relievers.
• Louis Varland and Tyler Rogers are both in the conversation as steady setup guys. Toronto could mix and match depending on who they’re facing.
• The club plans to watch Garcia’s progress on the mound and his command. That’ll be a big deal for locking down those late innings behind Hoffman.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Yimi Garcia Won’t Be Ready For Blue Jays’ Opening Day Roster