June 1, 2024

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

The Toronto Blue Jays have placed closer Jordan Romano on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation.

The move is retroactive to May 30.

This is the second time this season Romano (Markham, Ont.) has been sidelined by elbow inflammation. He missed the first two weeks of the campaign with the same issue.

It has been a rocky start to the 2024 season for the 31-year-old closer. In 15 appearances, he has posted a 6.59 ERA and has allowed 10 runs on 16 hits in 13 2/3 innings. Despite this, he has still managed eight saves.

On Wednesday, in his most recent outing, Romano allowed a run in the ninth inning but still secured the save in a Blue Jays’ 3-1 win over the Chicago White Sox.

In his appearance prior to that one, he surrendered a walk-off three-run home run to Detroit Tigers outfielder Matt Vierling.

Earlier this season, Romano had recorded his 100th major league save when he pitched the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals in a 5-3 win on April 22. With that, he became just the fourth Canadian and fifth Blue Jay to reach that milestone.

In 59 games in 2023, Romano matched his career-high with 36 saves. The hard-throwing right-hander also had 36 saves in 2022. In his three full seasons as Blue Jays closer, his ERA has never eclipsed 2.90.

Originally chosen in the 10th round of the MLB draft by the Blue Jays in 2014, the Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum is in his sixth major league season.

The Blue Jays have called up left-hander Brendon Little to take Romano’s place on the roster.

Romano is the second Blue Jays pitcher to go down with an elbow injury in two days. On Friday, the Blue Jays placed starter Alek Manoah on the 15-day injured list with a right ulnar collateral ligament strain.