Toronto Blue Jays Shut Down All-Star Closer Jordan Romano For Rest of Season

Jordan Romano was hoping to make his way back into the Toronto Blue Jays' bullpen in 2024, but the righty has officially run out of time to return from elbow surgery.

May 19, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Jordan Romano (68) delivers a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the ninth inning at Rogers Centre. / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays are shutting down relief pitcher Jordan Romano for the remainder of the 2024 season, manager John Schneider told reporters Friday.

Romano last took the mound in the big leagues on May 29. He received multiple cortisone shots, then underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair an impingement in his elbow in early July, at which point he was projected to be out for six more weeks.

It has taken the 31-year-old right-hander longer than expected to work his way back, though, as he only just began throwing sessions this past week. Instead of rushing Romano back to a team that's 9.5 games out of the Wild Card race, the Blue Jays' brass decided to put him on ice.

"He wanted to get back, it just didn't work out with the number of games we have left and what he is going to have to check off the list in order to get back," Schneider said Friday. "It'll be nice for him to have a regular offseason. I think that'll be a little bit comforting for him and for us and get him back for next year."

Romano will finish the year with a 1-2 record, 6.59 ERA, 1.463 WHIP, 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings, two saves and a -0.3 WAR. Right elbow inflammation also cost Romano the first three weeks of the regular season, so he only made 15 appearances before going down.

Those numbers don't accurately represent Romano, who was one of the best closers in baseball over the previous three campaigns. From 2020 to 2023, Romano went 19-13 with a 2.29 ERA, 1.076 WHIP, 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings and a 7.4 WAR, making the All-Star Game in both 2022 and 2023.

Romano racked up 95 saves between 2021 and 2023, which ranked second in the American League only to Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase.

Toronto signed Romano to a one-year, $7.75 million contract to avoid arbitration last January. The Canadian righty, who has spent his entire 10-year professional career in the Blue Jays' organization, is arbitration eligible for the final time this offseason and is slated to become a free agent at the end of 2025.

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