The chances of reliever Yimi Garcia returning to the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen are looking bleak. Manager John Schneider announced on Monday that Garcia has not been recovering well from his recent throwing sessions. As a result, a visit with elbow specialist Dr. Keith Meister has been scheduled. This news is concerning for Garcia, who has been on the injured list since July 5 due to an ankle sprain and more recently, ulnar nerve symptoms. He has missed 44 games during this period.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had him and trying to figure out what’s going on,” Schneider said before the game against the Minnesota Twins at Rogers Centre. “So hopefully this does one way or another.” Schneider noted that Garcia's recovery has not progressed as expected. “He just wasn’t really recovering well. It wasn’t like a specific throw hurt worse than the others, he just wasn’t really bouncing back and it kept him from progressing.”

Garcia was a key player in the Blue Jays' bullpen earlier in the season, and his absence has been felt. Schneider mentioned that Garcia is frustrated with his stalled recovery. “He’s upset that he’s not here, obviously, and not playing,” Schneider said. “He wants to be a part of this. For a veteran guy, you work hard to be in situations like we’re in right now and he wants to be a part of it.”

Despite the hope for his return, the Blue Jays have had to adapt without him. The date for Garcia's appointment with Dr. Meister has not yet been set, and with only five weeks left in the season, the outlook appears grim. “He was one of the best in the league, really,” Schneider said, reflecting on Garcia’s early-season performance. “Other guys have come in and stepped up and done a good job, for sure. But you can kind of look back and see how dominant he was at the time and say ‘Damn, I wish he was here.’”

In other injury updates, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. returned to the starting lineup on Monday after missing six days due to a hamstring issue. Schneider indicated that they plan to ease Guerrero back into play. “But he came in after the game (on Sunday when he came in as a pinch hitter) and said ‘I feel great.’”