Jose Berríos appears to move past last spring's arm doubt in Blue Jays start

Manager John Schneider said Berríos battled physical issues last year but the team and pitching coach monitored his condition, and they reported feeling comfortable with him throwing in his first Blue Jays start.

Jose Berríos made his first start with the Toronto Blue Jays and the outing was reported as shedding last spring's doubt about his arm. Last season he dealt with physical issues that affected his sharpness, according to manager John Schneider. Schneider said it is difficult to measure exactly how much the elbow affected Berríos and noted that players struggle physically at different points in a season. He added that Berríos knows when to pull back and that the coaching staff stayed in close touch about his throwing. Key points: - The start was reported as shedding last spring's doubt about Berríos' arm. - Manager John Schneider said it is difficult to measure exactly how much the elbow affected him and that players face physical ups and downs. - Schneider said Berríos knows when to "pull back" and that pitching coach Pete Walker and Schneider stayed in touch about his condition. - The team said they would not have allowed him to throw if they did not feel safe about it; last year was described as a period when he was battling physically and not as sharp. Summary: The coaching staff reported feeling comfortable with Berríos throwing in the start, noting last year's physical struggles as context. Undetermined at this time.