Another blow for Blue Jays bullpen as Yimi Garcia’s elbow issues send him to injured list

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Though the status of the team’s latest closer Yimi Garcia is officially listed day-to-day, the Blue Jays believe they have eluded their latest bullpen crisis with a serious injury to one of their most important arms.

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In other words, there was a sigh of relief in manager John Schneider’s office on Monday when results of an MRI to Garcia’s right elbow returned to reveal no structural damage.

Garcia, who had been elevated to the closer’s role while Jordan Romano recovers from his own elbow issues, left Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians in the ninth inning after feeling discomfort in his elbow. The MRI taken Sunday night revealed what Schneider described as “ulnar nerve symptoms.”

Obviously any issue with the elbow is potentially grim, but that said, the hope remains that Garcia won’t have to spend any time on the injured list and that his absence will be measured in days not weeks.

“I said it’s day-to-day (but) it’s almost like it’s 12-hour increments right now,” Schneider said. “(Garcia’s) obviously really important to our bullpen so wanting to do what’s right form and right for us at the same time.

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“If we can avoid the IL, that would be great.”

In the interim, there’s a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox starting Monday at the Rogers Centre and Schneider said should he need a closer, Chad Green would slide into the role temporarily.

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There’s also hope that Romano is getting closer to a return. The Canadian closer was a played on the injured list back on June 1 with right elbow inflammation and his absence has been a blow to a bullpen that has had it’s issues.

In other pitching news, Cuban Yariel Rodriguez joined the team on Monday following his latest start on a rehab assignment with triple-A Buffalo. Schneider said that Rodriguez is a possibility for a start against Cleveland later in the week as the fifth arm in the Jays rotation.

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