Tigers, Blue Jays Lose Key Relievers for 2025 Season

Both the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays are facing significant bullpen challenges as they approach the final stretch of the 2025 MLB season due to key pitchers being sidelined with elbow injuries. Tigers' reliever Beau Brieske has been shut down for the season because of persistent elbow soreness, disrupting their bullpen 'pitching chaos' strategy and forcing the team to adjust bullpen usage amid a competitive AL Central race. Similarly, the Blue Jays lost crucial reliever Yimi Garcia to season-ending elbow surgery to remove scar tissue, exacerbating an already struggling bullpen that has the highest walk rate in baseball and has been prone to giving up home runs. Toronto manager John Schneider expressed cautious optimism about Garcia’s recovery but acknowledged the significant void left in high-leverage situations, while the team also suffered late-inning bullpen collapses, as seen in a recent 4-1 loss to the Brewers where closer Jeff Hoffman allowed multiple homers. With limited trade options post-deadline, the Blue Jays have signed minor league deals to bolster depth but face an uphill battle to stabilize their relief pitching. Both teams now must rely on less experienced pitchers to fill critical roles during this crucial phase of the season, highlighting the fragility of bullpen depth in the playoff push.