Yimi García’s season is officially over.
Prior to Friday’s series opener versus the Milwaukee Brewers, manager John Schneider revealed García — who recently visited with elbow specialist Dr. Keith Meister — is headed for season-ending surgery on his right elbow, which has sidelined him since July 2. The positive news is that it’s a clean-up procedure, removing scar tissue around the nerve in his elbow, rather than something related to his ligament.
That means the 35-year-old should be 100 per cent recovered next spring, likely eliminating any restrictions ahead of the 2026 season.
Yimi García’s season is officially done. He’s set to undergo a season-ending clean-up procedure, per #BlueJays manager John Schneider.
García should be full go for spring training 2026.
— Thomas Hall (@Hall_Thomas_) August 29, 2025
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This officially marks the end of a frustrating 2025 campaign for García, who returned to the Blue Jays on a two-year, $15-million contract last winter. He’ll finish with a 3.86 ERA and 3.83 FIP with 25 strikeouts over 22 relief appearances, spanning 21 innings.
Toronto traded García to the Seattle Mariners ahead of last season’s trade deadline, receiving a package that included outfielder Jonatan Clase and catcher Jacob Sharp in return. But the hard-throwing righty only ended up making 10 appearances post-trade before being shut down for the remainder of the year with right elbow inflammation.
The unfortunate development — albeit an expected one — is a considerable blow to the Blue Jays’ bullpen for this season, which has desperately missed his presence in the second half, particularly lately, amid a recent stretch of inconsistencies.
Without García the rest of the way, this team must continue to find ways to bridge the gap to closer Jeff Hoffman in save situations, with options like trade-deadline acquisitions Seranthony Domínguez and Louis Varland expected to continue serving major roles in that fashion at the back end, along with Brendon Little and Yariel Rodríguez. Braydon Fisher and Mason Fluharty will also likely earn high-leverage reps once they return from triple-A Buffalo next month.
But there’s no replacing Yimi García, who’ll likely be transferred to the 60-day IL in the coming days/weeks, opening a spot on the 40-man roster. Given how much Toronto’s ‘pen has faltered lately, it’s becoming increasingly more evident that the coaching staff may need to be creative with its usage and deployment down the stretch and into October.