SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Jose Berrios received clearance to join Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals and will be available to pitch, manager Yadier Molina said Tuesday.
The Toronto Blue Jays right-hander was among the players, several Puerto Ricans included, who did not receive insurance for the first round of the event due to health concerns.
Berrios finished last season on the injured list with elbow inflammation leading to his insurance rejection, but said earlier this spring it was possible he’d be OK’d for the second round. “They said they have to see me and evaluate me,” he explained Feb. 23. “If I'm healthy, then they will insure me.”
The three starts he’s made this spring, logging 10.2 innings while allowing four runs on eight hits and four walks with seven strikeouts, apparently did the trick.
“We got the news today, so he’s going to be available for the second round,” said Molina. “He's in. So I’m happy for that news.”
Molina said Seth Lugo of the Kansas City Royals will start the quarterfinal on either Friday or Saturday in Houston and that the plan is “to see (Berrios) pitching that same day. That's the goal, but there's nothing official yet. We have that in our plans. We're talking about it.”
“Obviously having Seth Lugo and Jose Berrios in the same game, it’s really good,” Molina added in comments translated from Spanish to English. “It gives us a lot of planning to have the bullpen ready. I think that we have a really good chance.”
Berrios was scheduled to start for the Blue Jays on Thursday at the Phillies.
