What happened to Jordan Romano? Blue Jays pitcher exits game vs Angels early

Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano was forced off the field in their series opener against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday.

While the game ended 4-1 in favor of the Blue Jays, Romano was pulled in less than an inning after being brought on in the ninth. Reports suggest that the right-handed pitcher had to be pulled as a result of his earlier back injury flaring up, with further assessment being done over the weekend.

Romano was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2014 MLB Draft and went on to make his major leagues debut for them in 2019. After making a decent start to his career, Romano become the Blue Jays' closer in 2021 and went 7–1 with a 2.14 ERA in 63 innings, compiling 23 saves.

Since then, he made the All-Star team twice in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, while also becoming the go-to closer for the team.

Ahead of the 2023 season, Romano signed a one-year, $4.5 million deal with the Toronto team to avoid arbitration. After making a decent start to the season, he was named in the All-Star but ended up injuring his back during warm-up for the game.

While he did not require a stint on the injured list, he was rested during their series against the Arizona Diamondbacks last week. However, this time around the Blue Jays' medical team will likely make a more detailed evaluation of the situation.

Will Jordan Romano be placed on the injured list following his early exit against the Angels?

While the Toronto Blue Jays have said that they will evaluate the extent of Romano's injury over the weekend, there has been no further update on the issue.

The right-handed closer has been an instrumental part of the bullpen in the MLB this season and will be sorely missed if his problem turns out to be a serious one.

It might even trigger the Blue Jays to reconsider their plans in the market ahead of the trade deadline.