TORONTO -- Jake Bloss will undergo right elbow surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), news that comes as a difficult blow to the promising 23-year-old and the Blue Jays’ rotation depth.
Bloss is the Blue Jays’ No. 6 prospect and represented one of their best starting options in Triple-A as he began to turn the corner after a difficult start. Acquired from the Astros last season as the headliner of the Yusei Kikuchi deal that also brought over Will Wagner and Joey Loperfido, Bloss had already touched the big leagues in 2024 as a ‘23 third-rounder who was advanced for his age.
Manager John Schneider said Tuesday that the club is not yet sure if Bloss will need a full Tommy John surgery or if this could include an internal brace procedure, which can shorten the lengthy rehab process. Bloss left his last outing on May 3 with the injury and had undergone a battery of tests since.
There’s no such thing as good timing for a surgery of this magnitude, but the timing is particularly difficult for Bloss as it will wipe out the remainder of his 2025 season and potentially impact a significant portion of his ‘26 campaign. Rehab times can vary, of course, but the first step is determining exactly which surgery Bloss will need, as the internal brace procedure could offer him much better odds of contributing in ‘26.
The Blue Jays have been trying to keep their heads above water with the No. 5 spot in their rotation in the absence of Max Scherzer, who is working his way back from a recurring right thumb issue. Scherzer also just ran into some mid-back tightness coming out of his last throwing session, which could briefly delay his timeline to resume that ramp-up, but regardless, Toronto continues to need help in that spot.
“The No. 5 will be in flux a little bit as we go,” Schneider said.
The organization has looked internally and externally, adding José Ureña and Spencer Turnbull from free agency on top of Eric Lauer, Easton Lucas, Paxton Schultz and others who have pitched bulk innings. All along, it’s felt like the Blue Jays were holding off on promoting Bloss until it was clearer that they’d need him long term, not just for a week. The club also wanted to see him settle in a bit at Triple-A after he spent most of 2024 skyrocketing through the Minors before being traded to Toronto.
Unfortunately, that’s all a secondary concern now. Bloss will undergo surgery soon, performed by Dr. Keith Meister, which is a name Blue Jays fans have grown all too familiar with in recent years. The team will continue to need other pitchers to step up to fill this role until Scherzer returns to full health.