Jose Berrios will get opening day begin for Blue Jays, Romano has setback

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The Blue Jays have their opening day starter in place, formally handing the task to proper hander Jose Berrios on Tuesday.

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As for the remainder of the pitching workers, well being considerations proceed to canine the group as it really works its manner by means of the ultimate week of the pre-season.

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In addition to asserting the Berrios name for subsequent Thursday when the Jays face the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, supervisor John Schneider knowledgeable reporters in Florida of setbacks to nearer Jordan Romano and fellow reliever Erik Swanson.

In response to the group, Romano has been coping with some proper elbow irritation and, after an MRI revealed no critical injury, he’ll be handled with an anti-inflammatory injection. Schneider informed reporters that Romano gained’t be capable of throw for 3 days after which start to ramp up.

Barring an additional setback, he may very well be prepared for the season.

Swanson, in the meantime, has some proper forearm tightness that can preserve him out of motion by means of a lot of this week.

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The Romano and Swanson points pile on to the shoulder woes that shut down starters Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman, delaying their respective begins to the pending season.

Berrios, in the meantime, will get the opening day task for the second time in three seasons, clearly in search of a a lot better outing than in 2022, when he was rocked and didn’t make it out of the primary inning.

However after a formidable bounce-back 2023 and a powerful exhibiting in Florida this spring, Berrios looks like a distinct pitcher now, each in kind and his confidence.

“Clearly (having success) got here with that mindset of confidence,” Berrios mentioned in an interview with the Toronto Solar earlier in spring coaching. “I used to be so locked in and believed in myself each time I went on the market and pitched. Final yr I used to be in a position to go throw high quality pitches down within the zone and that labored for me.

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“With the ability to go on the market and execute introduced me that confidence I’ve earlier than. So now it’s to maintain constructing on high of that and be higher.

“If you really feel like that, you’re feeling like no one can beat you. That’s what you need.”

The Jays possible needed to have Gausman as their opening day starter, however when his shoulder tightness shut him down, it grew to become obvious they must shift.

Berrios was at all times going to be the main candidate, a job supervisor John Schneider made official when he informed the personable Puerto Rican on Tuesday morning.

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