Yimi García To Undergo Elbow Surgery, And Is Done For The Season

Yimi García’s season is officially over.

John Schneider announced on Friday that the 35-year-old right-hander will be undergoing surgery to clean up some scar tissue in his throwing elbow, and he’ll be done for the year.

Surgery on the elbow is nothing new for García. He had missed the 2017 season with the Dodgers while undergoing Tommy John surgery. Last season, after a mid-season trade to the Mariners, he underwent elbow surgery, following elbow inflammation that ended his season in August.

The good news is that, unlike Tommy John surgery or the internal brace procedure, Yimi García is expected to return at some point during spring training in 2026. However, all things considered, García and the Blue Jays would rather he be healthy and avoid the rehab process yet again.

“He’s frustrated, I think he’s kind of looking for answers with those going on as long as it has, and it's frustrating for him that he’s not up here helping us” - Manager John Schneider on Blair and Barker Friday afternoon.

For now, all Garcia can do is focus on recovering, go through the rehabilitation process, and try to find some answers to ensure this doesn't bother him in 2026 and the rest of his career.

For the Toronto Blue Jays, it does act as a blow to the team. García was brought back to the Blue Jays, along with Jeff Hoffman, as part of the crew intended to help improve the bullpen, which had an AL-worst 4.82 ERA in 2024. At the beginning of the season, it appeared to work. García had thrown to a 3.86 ERA over 22 games, with 25 strikeouts, and even ended up with three saves on the season. Proving just how effective he can be when he’s on the mound.

The news of the procedure comes at an unfortunate time, as the major league bullpen could really use the help of someone like García right now. Jeff Hoffman has had flashes of dominance, but also some massive blow-ups. Louis Varland has allowed earned runs in six straight appearances. Brendon Little and Yariel Rodriguez have run into some trouble after being so dominant at times this season. Aside from Seranthony Dominguez and Tommy Nance, the Blue Jays have been looking for some help out of the bullpen.

Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, it doesn’t seem like much help is coming, the trade deadline has come and passed, and unless the Blue Jays are going to call up top pitching prospect Trey Yesavage to pitch out of the bullpen, or find someone off the waiver wire that can make a surprise for this team, it looks like the Blue Jays are going to have to rely on the players they already have in their system as they strive for their first AL East title in a decade.

For García, there isn’t much history on this type of operation and how players recover. The Athletics' Ken Waldichuk had a similar surgery in 2023 and has yet to appear in the big leagues since. The Mariners' (and former Blue Jay) Mark Lowe underwent a similar surgery in February 2007, and he pitched only 12 2/3 innings between the majors and minors that season before resuming a more normal workload the following season. Even Hall of Famer John Smoltz underwent surgery in 2004, after being used as a closer for four seasons. He was able to bounce back and become an elite starter through his late 30s.

The results are mixed, and every player is going to react differently, but García, who just celebrated his 35th birthday, will have a lot to prove as he enters his second year of the two-year, $15 million contract he signed with the Blue Jays last offseason. If García can prove that he can come back and be the dominant reliever the Blue Jays have seen over parts of four seasons, then that will bode well for him and the team, but there is a lot of “what if” as the Blue Jays will anxiously wait and see how he looks down in Dunedin in February.

In the meantime, the Blue Jays are left to chase their first AL East crown in a decade with the arms that they already have on hand. Their fate in October may hinge on whether or not the current bullpen can steady itself down the stretch. And for García, like the rest of Toronto, the next six weeks will be spent watching from the sidelines, as we wait for answers.